


The Delivery Boy

by AnimatorZee



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Gen, Modern Era, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-02-04 00:01:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1760211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimatorZee/pseuds/AnimatorZee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Link's simple life as a bicycle courier is thrown into chaos when an evil witch traps him in the past. Fortunately, time is on Link's side, but getting back home may not be easy...and it might not even be the best idea, either.</p><p>Characters will be added as they appear. Possible spoilers for various games (will be listed at the start of chapters).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Late to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link awakens from a foreboding dream.

_The farther back in history you go, the more vague and strange the tales sound. There are scarcely any records to be found, and those that exist are hard to find and even harder to decipher. But there are legends that we do remember._

_Stories tell of the Dark One who rose from the watery depths of the ocean. A monstrous, armored bird flew at his command, stealing away innocent children. He cursed the Great Sea with a terrible darkness and ominous storms. One day, a boy clothed in green set out in pursuit of the Dark One. He wielded a mysterious blade that shone with a protective light, and cast the Dark One to the bottom of the sea. The curse was lifted, and the children of the many islands safe at last._

_The boy whom had so valiantly protected the great sea became known as the Hero of Winds, and he voyaged across the waters to find a new land, which later became known as New Hyrule. Many immigrants from the islands settled in this new kingdom. But New Hyrule was not as peaceful as its new settlers had hoped._

_A mighty Demon known as Maladus laid sealed away within the land itself, his shackles taking the form of the Spirit Tracks that had been adapted for use in transportation. One day, the tracks began to gradually disappear, isolating many villages in New Hyrule from one another, and allowing the Demon King to rise to power once again. The great Tower of Spirits shattered, a dark cloud covering the kingdom. Many prayed that the Hero of Winds would rise again to protect them. But it was not the Hero of Winds who arrived._

_A boy clothed in green came once again to protect them, but the winds did not obey him. It is said that he heard the whispers of the world around him, and that he was gifted with eyes that could see the spirits of the land. With a great, armored phantom at his command, the hero confronted the Demon King and defeated him once and for all._

_Then, as with the Hero of Winds, he vanished as quickly as he had appeared._

_It has been centuries since the time of the spirits. Villages became towns, and towns became bustling cities. The dangers that existed so many ages ago have evoled into no more than tales told to children to teach them right from wrong. The spirit tracks see less and less use, reserved only for the longest of travels and the heaviest of cargo. Technology continues to grow and evolve, and society grows as well. History becomes legend, and legend becomes myth._

_But just because something is forgotten does not mean it no longer exists. And, like a moth to the flame, darkness is ever tempted by the vulnerabilities of peace..._

 

* * *

 

He'd never had very many interesting dreams, so this was a first. He was walking forward aimlessly, a cool breeze at his face. Before him was an endless forest path, riddled with dirt and fallen leaves, an inviting white light resting at the far end. Voices whispered in his ears, their words forming an ancient tongue he couldn't decipher. Their words were accompanied by a symphony of crashing waves, singing birds, and whistling winds.

The forest darkened. The whispers turned into frightened pleas. The waves and the winds and the birds fell silent, giving way to an eerie stillness. The trees began to wither away, twisting into malevolent shapes. Thick, black vines grew from the depths of the forest, and the light began to shrink away, slowly being overtaken by an encroaching dark cloud that filled the forest. The frightened pleas grew louder, into screams of terror.

He found himself running, chasing the light as it threatened to fade away. His legs quickly became heavy from exhaustion, his lungs screaming for rest, his very blood begging for a moment's reprieve from the mad dash to the end of the path. But still, he pressed on. He  _had_ to reach that light. He  _had_ to.

But it was too late. The dark vines latched a hold of his ankle. He screamed in pain as the thorns impaled his skin, but with a single jerk he tore his leg free and pressed on, absently hoping that the plant wasn't poisonous. The darkness was becoming harder and harder to evade, and his body was giving out. Finally, he could run no more, and he collapsed onto the ground. The vines took hold of his legs, pulling him back down along the path. Behind him, a formless dark cloud awaited, ready to swallow him whole. His senses were overcome by darkened hues of red and orange. The screaming darkness grew louder, joined by tormented shouts of agony, mad laughter, the roar of savage beasts, and...electronic buzzers?

Link's eyes snapped open, greeted with the bright red LEDs of his alarm clock alerting him that he should have been awake fifteen minutes ago. With a startled yelp, he leaped out of bed, briefly becoming entangled in his blankets and falling clumsily to the floor. Shaking off the fall, he hastily pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before slipping into his favorite green hoodie and hurrying downstairs to the kitchen, grabbing his backpack on the way out.

There was a plate of sausage and toast waiting for him on the table, alongside a glass of orange juice. His grandmother had already left breakfast out for him, and likely at this point it had all gone cold. Link gulped down the orange juice and downed the sausage as quickly as he could before stuffing the toast in his mouth and racing out the door. His bike was waiting for him next to the garage; he was on it and off down the road in moments. Perfect, out the door in record time. As long as traffic wasn't awful, he'd have few to no issues getting to school on time. Given where he lived, that wasn't going to be too much of a problem.

The neighborhood Link lived in was a pleasant and quiet one. The houses were all relatively well-cared for, and the streets rarely had much activity aside from the morning rush to get to work or school. Many people in Link's neighborhood opted to walk to where they needed to be, although many also had automobiles. Smaller families like Link's opted for bicycles instead, although Link's was more than just transportation; he also used it for his after-school job as a courier. Either way, Faron was a rather nice place to live, and virtually every corner one happened upon was peaceful and inviting. All except for one, that is.

At the edge of the neighborhood was an enormous mansion, its age evident by the peeling lavender paint and the heavy black shingles on the roof. The dead lawn and the long cobblestone pathway was covered in dead leaves, fallen from the trees dotting the lawn. Next to the front gate was and an old, dirty sign holding a once brilliant brass plate reading "Sheikah Manor". Link always stopped to give it a look whenever he passed. He could never quite put a finger on it, but something about the mansion not only grabbed his curiosity, but also set him on edge.

It was as though the cheery atmosphere of the rest of town just shrank away whenever one came close to it. It was only made more eerie that no one seemed to live there, and evidently hadn't for many years. The place had many urban legends surrounding it, and it was common for rebellious youths to challenge one another to go inside. Typically, they wouldn't stay for more than a minute or two. It made Link wonder what was inside. Sometimes, he could swear he'd hear voices coming from within...

The sound of a passing car jolted Link back to his thoughts, and he took off down the road again. He was cutting it close today. No doubt his Grandmother would give him a talking-to when he returned home that evening after he'd done his courier rounds. He could at least hope that he didn't have any grueling deliveries to make after class. The day was already off to a rough start.

"Hey, Link!"

And it was about to get rougher.

There was barely had any time to turn around when a convertible zoomed past him on the road. A familiar face, donning a confident (and very irritating) smirk and upright red hair, stared back at him. "See you in class, delivery boy! Try not to be late again!"

Link glared back but offered no verbal response. It was widely known that Groose got on his last nerve and the two were more than rivals. Still, he had better things to be spending his energy on than the redhead's pestering...although the temptation to give the bully a taste of his own medicine _had_ crossed his mind more than once.

At the end of the road, Link rounded a corner and sped into his school's rear parking lot. He chained up his bicycle and raced into the school building, bursting through the doors and speeding down the hallway towards his homeroom. He was just about to enter the classroom when he was met with an owlish face, belonging to a tall and stocky man wearing a brown tweed jacket and a matching cap. Behind the man, Link could see Groose and his two cronies snickering at him. 

"You're cutting it close again, Link," the man said.

Link cringed in defeat. "Sorry, Professor Gaebora..."

Professor Gaebora sighed. "If you keep this up, I'm going to have to contact your grandmother. Now, have a seat. We have some important announcements to cover today before class begins, so don't make me waste my time with repeating our late policy."

Link sighed, trudging toward his desk and slumping into it unceremoniously. This was going to be a long day.

 

 

 


	2. From The City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link befriends a new student at school. Although she seems kind and friendly, it soon becomes evident that there's more to her than meets the eye. Before he can give it much thought, a mysterious request arrives from the courier center...

While Professor Gaebora was busy writing on the board, a paper airplane glided across the room and hit Link square in the side of his head. Tiredly, he picked it up off the floor and glared in the direction it came from. Groose and his cronies were snickering at him from the far side of the classroom. Rolling his eyes, Link crumpled up the projectile and shoved it in the front pocket of his backpack. He could entertain them later. Right now, he had notes to go over.

Link's handwriting was notoriously messy, but by some miracle it was still readable. The previous day's notes were a little scattered across the page, as Link cared more to get things on paper at all rather than putting it properly on a line. He ran his fingers through his bangs and stared blankly at the chicken scratch before him.

_spirit tower catastrophe: spirit tracks vanished, tower shattered, princess of royal family and chancellor went missing. unknown knight recruit reportedly aided in restoring tracks, according to princess upon return._

_spirit tracks fell out of use after invention of modern automobile. no longer used as passenger carriers unless for long distance travel. old traditions still upheld: engineers still royally certified, entry to tower of spirits still forbidden by unauthorized engineers--_

Another paper airplane prodded Link's head. He shot an annoyed glare to Groose, whom was too busy being amused to notice that Professor Gaebora had ceased writing notes on the board to stand behind him with folded arms and a stern glare. Link turned his attention back to his notes, tuning out the scolding that Gaebora was dishing out in favor of doing some more reading.

Most of the remainders of his notes were a bit difficult to make out, but he understood the gist of them. Something about a sacred flute and a bow (who even used bows anymore?), pearls, ancient legends, and even pirates (there was a note next to it stating _1st queen = tetra_ ). History wasn't exactly Link's strong subject, and his disorganization didn't do him many favors, but his notes were discernible this time, at least. _  
_

There was a quiet knock at the door and Professor Gaebora abandoned his scolding to attend to it. Link glanced up, catching the principal's voice speaking in a hushed tone. Link couldn't make out what they were saying, although when he leaned forward a bit, he caught a glance of someone standing just out of view. Professor Gaebora eventually nodded, motioning them to enter. "Come on in, then. You're just in time."

In walked a girl about Link's age, wearing a long, maroon dress and a white shawl. Some of her golden-blonde hair was tied back, with two sections of it hanging down in front of her shoulders. As she walked in, her blue eyes scanned the room nervously, eventually landing on Link and lingering for a moment before returning to the teacher. Her hands absently tugged at a pair of fingerless white gloves she was wearing.

"We have a new student today, class," Gaebora said. "Young lady, would you like to introduce yourself?"

The girl nodded. "My name is Zelda. I just moved here from the Castle Town neighborhood..."

The classroom immediately erupted into whispers. Castle Town neighborhood wasn't too far away, but it was far enough to be considered a different district, requiring transit all the way across Lanayru River just to get there. To top it off, it was a relatively rich neighborhood and a bustling metropolis to boot. A lot of people in Castle Town had a reputation for looking down on the suburban and country folks in Faron as well. Link's classmates expressed both curiosity and surprise; why would a city kid move all the way out here? Their mutterings drowned out anything else Zelda had to say.

"Class, that's enough!" Professor Gaebora bellowed. He turned to Zelda, his tone quieting. "Young Lady, please have a seat. We will be starting class shortly."

Zelda nodded quietly, making her way down the aisle. Groose slicked back his hair and gave her a sly grin, only to be ignored as Zelda continued to the back of the classroom and sat behind Link (much to Groose's dismay). It took a lot of effort for Link not to turn around and stare, but he managed to pull it off and remain focused forward.

Gaebora cleared his throat. "Now then, I expect you all to treat your new classmate with as much politeness and maturity as we come to expect from you all in this school. Anyone caught harassing the young lady will immediately be sent to the principal's office and _will_ be punished accordingly. That goes _double_ for you, Groose."

Link heard Groose swear under his breath.

"Now then. Pull out your textbooks, open then to chapter twenty-five. Please be ready to take notes."

 

* * *

 

Lunch found Link sitting at his usual place in the commons, near one of the brick benches wedged between the pillar supports. He'd already downed the sandwich he made that morning and was busy scribbling away at his homework thus far. Malon had a different lunch period this year, so he had hardly anyone to talk to at lunch. Instead, he opted to go ahead and get his homework done. Oftentimes, he ended up doodling on the sides of his notebook more than he'd actually get his work done, but today he seemed to have a good enough pace going. At this rate, he'd be done long before lunch was over, and perhaps he'd have time to indulge in other things.

"Um...excuse me..."

Link glanced up, immediately met with the sight of a familiar new face. Zelda was offering him a calm, friendly smile, although her eyes conveyed a sense of anxiety.  Link offered a lopsided grin of his own. "Yeah?" He asked.

"You're Link, right?" She said. "We're in history class together."

"Yeah," Link replied, folding his notebook up and placing it aside. "You moved in from Castle Town, right?"

Zelda hesitated. "Something like that," she replied. "I'm only here for the rest of this year, then I might be moving back. It depends on how things go, really; it's kind of a long story. Do you mind if I eat lunch with you?"

This was a first. Link wasn't necessarily an unpopular kid by any means, but he wasn't exactly a sought-after guy, either. Granted, he was perfectly content doing his own thing, so having someone seek him out to spend lunch with him was relatively new, but by no means unwelcome. Link nodded, scooting aside to make room for Zelda. "Sure thing."

"Thanks!" Zelda wasted no time in sitting down next to him. "I was worried a lot of the kids in Faron wouldn't be too friendly to a city girl like me, but you seem very nice."

"It's not every day we get a new kid," Link replied, shrugging. "Not every day they come all the way from the city, either."

Zelda reached for her backpack, pulling out a small tin lunchbox. "It's a lot quieter here than in the city," she stated. "It's a little strange, but so far I really like it. I wouldn't mind staying here a little longer than I need to."

Link grinned. The peacefulness of Faron was one of his favorite things about it. His courier routes tended to be a bit rough on occasion, even for running between suburban areas, but it was nice that he didn't have the utter chaos that the cities had. He wouldn't mind visiting the city at some point, of course, but Faron was where his heart was.

"How come you're sitting all alone, anyway?" Zelda asked, frowning. "Don't you have any other friends here at school that could sit with you?"

"Not really. The ones I do have are in the other lunch period."

This didn't bother Link at all, but Zelda didn't seem to agree with this notion. "Well," she began, "If you don't mind, I'd like to sit with you at lunch. At least for this week."

Link looked up, surprised. "Huh? Me?"

"If you're okay with it, that is..." Zelda shifted in her seat. "You seem a lot nicer than most other people around here I've met so far. Everyone just keeps wanting to buddy up with me just because I'm a city girl. And that guy with the red hair keeps stalking me everywhere..."

"You mean Groose?"

"Is _that_ Groose? Malon warned me about him. There's a boy like that in my old school, actually..."

It became clear quickly that Zelda was a bit of a talker. Although not obnoxiously chatty, she obviously had a lot to say, and hardly anyone to say it to until now. It was a wonder she ever got to eat the sandwich and fruit she had packed. Before long, both Link and Zelda were caught up in stories of the times Groose had bullied Link in the past over a number of things, even as trivial as a spilled bottle of orange juice. Zelda shared some stories of the city: how busy it was, the rich neighborhoods there, the melting pot of cultures that convened in the shopping district... It was a pleasant conversation overall, but after some time, Link began to notice that Zelda was looking incredibly worried.

Link leaned forward. "You okay, Zelda?"

Zelda nodded. "I'm fine," she said. "It's just...Faron is a lot to take in. It's supposed to be safer and quieter here than in Castle Town, but even here everything is just..."

Safer? Something was clearly bothering her. Comments aside, the way her words trailed off, the way her shoulders sagged and her eyes drifted downward...something had to be up. "I'm sure you'll get used to it," Link said, hoping to reassure her. "Faron's a pretty nice neighborhood. It's pretty rare that we ever have any trouble here, and whenever we do it's usually not that big a deal."

"I hope you're right."

No doubt about it; there was _definitely_ something bothering Zelda.  Link offered a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll like it here. It's not quite as busy as the city, but there's still a lot of stuff to do.

There was a moment's hesitation, and Zelda finally cracked a smile, and the two exchanged brief glances. She reached for Link's hand, opening her mouth to say something, but then gasped and pulled away. "What..."

"Er..." That wasn't the reaction he had expected. Link reached forward again. "Are you okay...?"

Zelda pulled away again, grasping her left hand. "I-It's nothing," she said. "I...I need to get going, alright? I'm sorry. Thanks for letting me eat lunch with you. I'll see you around."

Before Link could say a word, Zelda was already up and hurrying out of the commons. The crowd seemed to give her hardly more than a passing glance, but Link's eyes were glued to the doors she had raced through. What would make someone take off like that? What was she so worried about? Was it something he said?

The five-minute warning bell sounded off, signalling the end of lunch break. With a dejected sigh, Link picked up his bags and made his way towards the hall. As he rounded the corner, however, he was met with Groose's angry glare. He stumbled back a step or two. He groaned. "Oh, no..."

Groose laughed. "Well, well, well, if it ain't Lazy Lefty, the delivery boy! You hittin' it off with the city girl already?"

"We were just eating lunch, Groose," Link said flatly.

"That so?" Groose replied, quirking an eyebrow. "You call having long conversations and lovey-dovey looks 'just eating lunch'?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Okay, eating lunch and talking. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Quite abruptly, Groose grabbed Link by the shirt collar and dragged him uncomfortably close, glaring at him. "Listen here, Lefty," he snarled. "You better not get any ideas. The new girl's _mine_ , and there ain't nothin' you can do about it, so you better not go around tryin' anything stupid, got it?"

"The thought never crossed my mind," Link groaned. "Now can you please let me go so I can get to class?"

 

* * *

 

Link couldn't find any trace of Zelda after class ended, and his other friends had already long since left. He'd finished his homework during the few spare moments he had between classes and was ready to get on with any deliveries he needed to be doing that evening. Unfortunately for him, his bike had both of its tires slashed, and a crude note left behind from Groose warning him not to get close to Zelda. Link groaned and dug through his pouch. He had enough rupees to cover the damage this time, but if it happened again he'd be out of the job until next week's wages came in.

As if on cue, Link's cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, reading the message with dismay.

_Link! We've got an important order for you to fill tonight. Make your way here ASAP. I'll fill you in when you get here._

He couldn't help but smile. Proper grammar and spelling could only be Fado. While not the head honcho of Link's workplace, Fado helped things run smoothly for the most part. He'd been off the job for a few weeks due to a sprained ankle, but had become so good at organizing things that Malon's father let him keep that job. It ended up boosting the courier center's business noticeably. Fado was several years out of school, but was still one of Link's closer friends. Link hastily typed a reply.

_on my way. gotta run by the shop first. be there soon, ok?_

 Without bothering to wait for a reply, Link unchained his bike and headed down the road on foot, dragging his bike alongside him.

The sidewalks and roads were as busy as they normally would be on a typical Faron afternoon: lively, but far from hectic. Most kids would head home after school, although some opted to head to the shopping district for either work or leisurely time. Link's afternoons were usually dominated by courier work if he wasn't tending to things at home or just lazily riding around town. Today, however, seemed like it held no time for leisure. After Link's bike was repaired, he had work to do. Knowing his job, he wouldn't be home until well after suppertime. He hoped his grandmother would save him some soup.

At the edge of the shopping district sat a small bicycle store known as Linebeck's. It was one Link frequented out of necessity more than anything. Linebeck, the shop's namesake, was a talented salesman, but a tricky individual to deal with. He was known for being stubborn and persistent in attempting to upsell people if he saw even the slightest opportunity. Link pushed the door open, wheeling his bike in and parking it near the maintenance area in the back before scanning the store for its owner. Oddly enough, there was no sign of him.  _Must be in the back tending to something,_ Link noted, wandering around. He eventually happened upon the sales displays for some of the new and popular bikes. Link planned to upgrade one day, but for now his old bike was plenty for him, and had lasted him years.

On the central stand stood a sturdy, slim bicycle with a fresh set of tires and a sparkling-clean sheen. The frame was a bright crimson dipped with white near the wheels and handlebars; it was a sight prettier than Link's old bike.

 "She's a beauty, isn't she?"

The voice startled him, but Link hardly moved beyond a flinch. Next to him stood a tall man with long brown hair and a suspiciously small mustache. The man had a sly grin on his face and a confident twinkle in his eye. Link shifted uncomfortably. "Sneaky as ever, huh Linebeck?" he commented.

Linebeck grinned proudly, ingoring Link's remark. "You've got good taste there, son. The Loftwheel's one of our most popular models. She's got tubeless wheels, a durable frame, and she even comes with reflectors and a complimentary set of sidebags. And it's _only_ three thousand rupees."

Link did a double take. Three  _thousand_ rupees? Was this guy insane?

"But she's on sale today, soooo I can give her to ya for twenty-nine hundred."

Link groaned. Linebeck wasn't exactly known for his generosity. "I'm not here for a new bike," he grumbled, motioning towards where he had parked his own bike earlier. "I'm just here to get the flats fixed on my old one. _Again_."

Linebeck's proud smile vanished in an instant. "What, you're still riding that old Epona? That thing's due to fall apart any day now, kid. Come on, at least let me get you the ol' Red Lion."

"I'm not getting paid until next week," Link replied, doing his best to keep his nerves calm, "And I need a functional bike until then."

Linebeck frowned in disappointment. "Very well, but it'll cost you seventeen rupees for the labor and the new tube."

Link tossed him a red rupee from his pocket. "Fine by me. I'll be back in ten."

While the shopkeeper got to work, Link stepped outside and checked his text messages again. He'd received another message from Fado:

_Alright, but make sure you're here before it gets too late. This is important, not to mention time-sensitive._

Time sensitive? Link quirked an eyebrow. Was he delivering perishables or something? Either way, if it was on a time crunch, why hadn't Fado sent someone already? Then again, he didn't seem too desperate, so perhaps it wasn't on as strict a time limit as Link thought. Still, something still came across as rather odd. There were others running shifts tonight; why was Fado so intent on reaching _him_?

Stuffing his phone back in his pocket, Link began to wander the sidewalks for a while. Linebeck was usually pretty quick when it came to repairs, but standing still for a full ten minutes would get boring fast. There was a small grocery store nearby that he could loiter near, but he typically preferred to walk along the paths in the nearby park. For only ten minutes of walking it did the job well enough, and usually it wasn't too crowded.

Upon making his way down the path, Link felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. With a quiet sigh, he pulled it out; it seemed his leisurely time would have to wait. "'llo?"

"Hey, Link!" A cheerful female voice replied. It wasn't Zelda, but rather another girl Link knew; and a familiar one at that. "It's me! I kept looking for you after class, but you were already gone!"

"Sorry about that, Malon. I've got a shift tonight, remember?"

"Oooh, right! I totally forgot, sorry about that! I have this evening off so I can get stuff done for Dad, I guess it slipped my mind..."

Link couldn't help but grin. Malon was a childhood friend of his, even though they lived in completely different neighborhoods. They eventually took up the same job together at her father's bike courier service, and were the two fastest couriers there. Still, Malon had family obligations, so others had to cover for her from time to time. Usually it would be Link, since he was the only one that could match her speed.

"Anyway, I was gonna ask if you could cover for me if you're not too busy tonight. Dad wants the others to cover for me, but honestly I'd rather ask you since you're faster."

"No can do," Link replied. "Fado's got a special errand for me once my bike's fixed up."

"Your bike...?" It took mere moments for Malon to put the pieces together, and a loud groan of frustration could be heard over the phone's speaker. "Let me guess. Groose?"

As usual, nothing got past Malon. Sometimes Link swore she had long-distance mind reading powers. "Yeah. He got upset because the new girl came to eat lunch with me."

"The new girl? You mean Zelda?"

"Yeah. I've got history class with her."

Malon let out an excited gasp. "No way! I've got her back-to-back in literature and math. She's really nice and she talks a lot, but whenever I try to ask why her family moved she gets all quiet and fidgety and keeps changing the subject."

Link felt a wave of partial relief wash over him. Maybe it wasn't something he said, after all. Granted, he still felt a bit bad for what happened, but at least it wasn't as bad as he thought. "She was that way with me, too."

"I guess it's something she's not comfortable talking about right now. People move all the time, and it's not always for the most glamorous reasons. She's still pretty nice, but she always looks so tense and nervous. I invited her over to hang out this weekend. I figured, you know... Maybe helping her get acquainted with the neighborhood could help her relax a bit."

"What'd she say?"

"She's gotta ask permission first or something." A sigh. "But at least she didn't say no. Maybe next week I can talk to her a bit more and see if I can get her to open up a bit. If she does say yes, though, you wanna come with?"

"Only if I'm free," Link replied. "I've got a special delivery tonight and I dunno if your dad needs me on Monday or not yet."

There was a pause on the other line. "Special delivery?" Malon echoed. "What for?"

"Dunno. Fado just said he had a time-sensitive delivery for me to do this evening. I'm heading there once my bike is fixed."

"That's strange... If it were time-sensitive, why would he wait for you instead of assigning someone else to get it done on time?"

"Beats me," Link said, leaning against a tree. "But he said it was important. Once Linebeck's done fixing up my bike, I'll be off."

"Alright, I won't be keeping you, then. I've still gotta pick up a few things for Dad. Want me to run by your place and let your grandma know what's going on in case you run late?"

Link smiled. Malon was as chatty as she was thoughtful. He sometimes wondered when she ever did anything for herself. "That'd be great; thanks. If she makes any soup, tell her to save me some, okay?"

"Sure thing! See you later!"

Link hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket, staring at the sky. Clouds were rolling in rather quickly, and the gentle breeze was picking up into a formidable gust. Link pulled up his hood and hurried back down the path toward Linebeck's, his thoughts swarming. Upon arriving at the shop, he found Linebeck waiting for him at the front door with his bike. Link hurried off before Linebeck could pull off any last-minute sales tactics on him and sped down the road, the wind howling quietly and the clouds thundering in protest. It wasn't an opportune time for a storm to roll in, but Link had a job to do, and rain or shine, he was going to do it. 

As he sped down the street, though, Link could have sworn he felt someone was watching him...


	3. Sheikah Manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious request at the Courier Center asks for Link by name. Not only does the request originate from the foreboding Sheikah Manor, but it turns out to be far from any other work Link has ever received...

By the time Link reached the office, the clouds had already filled the sky and the wind was howling threateningly. It was by no means a full-on storm, but it wasn't very welcoming weather, either. He wheeled his bike into the front lobby, tossing his helmet onto the seat and jogging into Fado's office just around the corner.

Fado was hard at work as usual, with a computer to one side of him and a mountain of papers on the other. The moment Link walked in, his head snapped up in attention, and his tense expression immediately faded into relief. "There you are!" He said. "What took you so long?!"

"Groose," Link groaned, holding up the recepit from Linebeck's.

Fado sighed. "Figured that's why you were running by the store. You really need to get some tubeless wheels or something."

"If I did that, I couldn't take all the shortcuts on the backroads." Link shrugged. "And Linebeck's gotta keep those tire-changing skills sharp somehow."

Both of them shared a laugh, and Fado shook his head in amusement. "That old man would sell a butter knife to a butcher if he got the chance."

Grinning, Link pulled up a chair and unscrewed the top of his water bottle. "So, what's this 'important order' you've got for me?"

Fado reached for a few slips of paper next to his phone. "You’ve got a time-sensitive package delivery tonight, Link. And it doesn't sound like the usual one, either: they’re waiting for you at Sheikah Manor."

Link felt his stomach sink all the way to his feet in dread. “You can’t be serious…” he groaned. He passed by that creepy house every morning on his way to school and he’d hoped that would be the most contact he ever had with it.

"There’s more," Fado continued, looking at the notes he'd pulled out. "They said that you’ll be carrying ‘precious cargo’. They stressed the fact that the package was very fragile and very important, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you were carrying some sorta antique. If it is, I'm guessing your backroad shortcuts are a no-go this time.”

"Sounds fun," Link grumbled. "Fragile package from a creepy house. But where’m I supposed to take it to?”

"You’re going to love this: they want you to personally deliver it to Hyrule Historia.”

Link nearly choked on his water, and exploded into a coughing fit for several long seconds. “ _WHAT_?!”

"Yep. By midnight."

"Are they nuts?! The museum’s all the way in Castle Town neighborhood! It’ll take me almost all night to bike there, and that’s if traffic isn’t terrible!”

"I know," Fado replied, placing the notes on his desk and crossing his arms, leaning back in his chair. "I’m confused, too. Still, they asked for you _by name_. They’re paying twice the usual amount, too. Pretty hard to argue with that…"

"Why can’t people just deliver this via train?" Link grumbled.

Fado rolled his eyes. “Come on, Link. People only ever use trains or trucks for the really big loads or long-distance deliveries these days. Anything smaller gets regulated to people like Malon and you. Besides, it's time-sensitive and probably short notice, and anything like that isn't going to wait around for a train schedule.”

Link groaned in protest, but Fado still had a point. Even with automobiles and trains present, inter-city and short-notice deliveries were typically done by bicycle.

His thoughts were interrupted when he found his helmet shoved onto his head and a few scribbled-down notes pushed in front of him. “Well, hop to it,” Fado said. “Clock’s ticking, and you don’t wanna disappoint your client.”

"Hang on," Link interjected, picking up the notes and stuffing them into his pocket. "Could you at least tell me who sent this order? If I'm going to be delivering something from the creepiest house in Faron all the way to a history museum on the other end of the tri-city area, I'd at least like to know who's putting me up to it."

Fado paused a moment, then shrugged. "Honestly? I've got no idea. It's not one of our usuals, and it was hard to make out the voice. I never even got their name, either."

"At least this'll be interesting," Link commented, tossing his backpack into the corner in favor of slipping on his messenger bag. "Hopefully I can get this done before midnight without any issues."

"I'd like to see you get it done before that storm gets worse," Fado added, his face etched with concern. "Be careful, Link. It's not just the stingy client I'm worried about this time."

* * *

The storm howled angrily. There was thunder and lightning, but still no threat beyond the fierce winds that blew and the dark clouds overhead. Link had never experienced a storm quite this bad before; this was a first for him. Just his luck as well, to have a storm happen during a time-sensitive delivery from the creepiest house in Faron, all the way to the museum in Castle Town. Even if the rate was more than the usual amount, he desperately hoped he'd get tipped for this. This was more than just crazy, if the storm got worse it would be downright dangerous.

The moment Link approached Sheikah Manor, the storm seemed to give way to the eerie stillness and quiet that always hung over it. At first, Link thought it was his mind playing tricks on him, that this was because he was so intimidated by the old mansion that the very existence of the storm seemed to be drowned out by fear alone. But when he glanced around, he realized he wasn't imagining things after all. The storm raged on in the neighborhood, but it didn't seem to affect the manor at all. It was as though an invisible bubble hung around the manor, protecting it from the ominous weather.

Link chained his bike loosely to the fence and edged his way through the gate, making his way down the cobblestone path. The dead leaves crunched under his feet, and the ground itself felt a little loose and unstable. When Link finally made it to the front door, he reached up with his fist, swallowed nervously, and knocked loudly. "Delivery service!" He called.

There was no answer.

He knocked again. Still nothing. For someone who needed an urgent delivery, they didn't seem to be in any hurry to answer the door. Unless... 

One more knock and a call, but still nothing. This time, however, the door gave way, and creaked open a little bit. Link reached for the handle but then hesitated. Going inside uninvited wasn't exactly the best idea, but the door had been left unlocked, and no one was answering. Surely they wouldn't mind if he only stayed in the foyer, right? After all, they were expecting him, weren't they? He'd done this before for a few elderly customers, but they had at least let him know beforehand. Perhaps this was the same case, but they forgot to leave a note. At least, that's what Link desperately hoped the case was. The swarm of ghost stories rising in his head weren't doing his confidence, let alone his rationality, many favors.

After a moment's consideration, he realized that he didn't seem to have any other options, at least not if he wanted to get this done on time. Link pushed open the door. It groaned in protest, opening up to a long hallway, and he cautiously stepped inside.

The manor was dark; the only lighting came in through windows and a few cracks in the walls. The wallpaper - once a beautiful purple and red - was peeling off the walls. The floorboards were a dark brown hue, whether it was originally that way or it had darkened due to age and rot was a question Link wasn't sure he wanted the answer to. The stairwell down the hallway spiraled upward, lined with elegant iron railings. There were some pieces of furniture scattered around as well, most of which looked appropriate enough for a mansion, even one in Faron. Still, some of them were draped in dirty-white sheets, while others had been broken, smashed, or otherwise destroyed. Bits of the wall had taken a beating as well; Link wondered if this was the work of vandals or if some violent encounter had happened here long ago. 

"Hello?" Link called out. His voice echoed across the halls and the stairwell. He shuddered; this house was too eerily quiet. Was this some sort of elaborate joke? Or could whoever sent for him be hiding? Or...dead?

Link shook the thought from his mind. Now was not the time to be imagining such things. He had a job to do, and creepy house or no, he was going to do it. He cleared his throat uneasily. "I-I'm from Lon Lon Delivery Service. I understand that you have a time-sensitive request?"

Still there was no answer, other than the house creaking a little bit in the storm. Link stepped forward, wincing as the floorboards creaked beneath his feet. This was a horrible idea; he could see why all those people that dared to enter the mansion never stayed for long. But then...what of the rumors about never returned? Granted, they were probably just baseless rumors meant to scare people over campfires or at sleepovers, but the way this place looked, that threat was feeling more and more real.

The air began to move. Something stirred within Link's mind, his senses suddenly spiking. His eye caught every detail in the rotting wood, his ears heard every slight creak, his skin prickled at even the slightest sensation of movement. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, every breath resounded like a roar. The scent of rotting wood and old cloth flooded the air. Time itself seemed to slow. Link spun around, eyes wide and breath caught in his throat, just in time to watch as the front doors of the mansion slam shut and lock behind him. An unearthly roar rose from the depths of the house, surrounding him and instilling a deep feeling of dread.

Something dark flew past Link, missing him by inches. It sped around him, racing up the stairs and stopping-halfway to crouch and stare at him with narrow, suspicious eyes that almost seemed to glow in the darkness. Whatever it was, it looked human enough. It was wrapped almost entirely from head to toe in dark clothes, making it nearly impossible for Link to make out any details.

Link stepped back, eyeing any possible escape route. He'd break a window if he needed to. Break down the door, perhaps. Anything. He just needed to get out before whatever that thing was decided to kill him. "S-Sorry for coming in like this," he stuttered, doing his best to try and keep a professional air about him. Terrifying haunted house or no, he was still on duty. "I think there may have been a mistake, I'll just be going, sorry to bother you--"

"You're not going anywhere."

Before he had time to question the figure's response, it rushed at him. Before he knew it, he was ducking under a swipe to the head, only to be hit straight in the gut instead, sent skidding down the hallway. There was no time to rest; the figure rushed at him again, grabbing him by the throat and forcing him to stand. Link gasped for air, grabbing at the arm that held him captive and clawing at it in desperate attempt to get free. When that didn't work, he grabbed the arm and jumped up, kicking the figure in the stomach and twisting to the side, wrenching his neck free. He wasted no time in taking off down the hall, swerving around the nearest corner into a vacant room full of smashed furniture. He dove beneath a dusty, cloth-covered piano and held his breath.

The figure followed him in, its eyes scanning the room for his presence. Link dared not breathe, lest he be found by the assailant. If he stayed silent long enough, perhaps it would move on, and he'd have free roam to find an escape route. He'd head back, contact the police, tell Fado that the whole trip was just some big mistake. He'd go back home to his grandmother, probably avoid the story altogether. He'd tell Malon about the crazy run-in with a lunatic he'd had on a trap call the night before, and-- 

Link's phone vibrated and a loud text tone went off. The figure spun around, widened eyes locked directly onto him. Link began to scurry out from under the piano, but the figure was faster, and much stronger. It grabbed him by the leg, dragging him backward and lifting him into the air before tossing him towards the couch, the legs of the couch splintering and breaking on impact. Link had barely landed on the dusty cushions before the figure pounced on him, pinning him down and pointing a dagger at his throat.

"That's enough!"

Link's heart stopped. He knew that voice. His eyes travelled to the archway leading into the room. There stood a familiar, welcome sight: Zelda.

The figure didn't move, but it did lessen its grip on Link's throat. "Are you sure?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes, Impa, I'm sure. Now, let him go!"

"...very well." The figure stood, releasing Link, and backed away. Link gasped for breath, coughing and sitting up. He rubbed his throat, wincing. He wasn't hurt, luckily, but it was still an unpleasant experience nonetheless. Now that he was no longer in immediate danger, he could finally get a good look at the woman whom had attacked him. She was wearing a set of dark purple clothing, along with black wraps on her head and her arms. Around her waist was a dark leather belt, on which was a small dagger sheath. He suddenly felt very thankful that she hadn't felt the need to use the weapon beyond simply holding him down.

"I'm so sorry about that," Zelda said, immediately rushing to Link's side and helping him stand. "She was only trying to protect me. I should have told her about you sooner. Are you alright?"

Link gave one last cough and straightened up. "I'm fine," he replied, his voice still a bit shaky. "But Zelda, what're _you_ doing here?!"

Zelda helped Link stand and frowned apologetically. "It's a long story," she said. "I'll explain later, I promise." She turned to the woman nearby. "Impa, this is him. The one I told you about."

The woman lifted an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She said, her tone dark and thick with an unfamiliar accent. She stared at Link with intense red eyes, eyeing every inch of him. "He's a bit...thinner than I imagined he'd be. And somewhat shorter."

"He's a little different from what my dreams foretold," Zelda replied, ignoring Link's looks of confusion, "But he's definitely the one. I swear it. He was in my visions and everything!"

"...Very well," Impa said, crossing her arms. "But something still seems amiss."

Zelda lowered her head, staring at the floor in shame. "I know," she sighed. "But this is all we have for now, and we're running out of time."

"I hate to interrupt," Link asked. "But I thought I was coming here for an urgent delivery, not being attacked by crazy people and...whatever else is going on here," He motioned awkwardly to both Impa and Zelda. "Could someone _please_ tell me what's going on?"

"We need your help," Zelda said.

Link blinked at Zelda, baffled. "For what?"

Impa stared Link down for a few silent moments, and then motioned for him to follow her down the hallway nearby. As he did, Zelda walked beside him. "You may have already seen the storm outside," Impa said. "It is the work of one we know as the One-Eyed Witch."

"The One-Eyed Witch...?" Link echoed.

Zelda nodded. "She's been causing trouble for a long time now. At first, everyone in Castle Town wrote her off as a lunatic, or just some batty old woman, but she's actually a very powerful sorceress. A while ago, she started attacking people and even destroyed several homes. They locked her up for a while, but she broke out of prison and now she's on the loose."

"We don't believe that she is doing this indiscriminately," Impa added. "Something is motivating that witch, and whatever it is, lately it's caused her to pursue Zelda with a crazed ferocity. It's all too suspicious, not to mention the fact that one doesn't simply wake up with that kind of power and bloodlust."

"But why is she after Zelda?" Link asked. "And what does she want? How did she even get that power?"

Zelda shrugged. "We don't know," she said. "But one thing is for sure: if we don't stop her, we're going to have a lot more to worry about than just the storm outside. We have to find some way to stop her. That's where you come in."

Link shook his head. "I don't get it," he said. "I'm just a delivery boy. I ride my bike around town and deliver packages for people, I get picked on by Groose at school...I'm not anyone _that_ special. Why me?"

"Because you have appeared in Zelda's prophetic visions as of late," Impa explained calmly, pulling a keyring out of her belt and fumbling with the door they had reached at the end of the hall. "It is one of the gifts she has, and they have never steered her wrong."

"I've had these dreams ever since I was little," Zelda said. "I kept seeing storm clouds and thunder. Sometimes there was a lot of rain, other times there were dead trees and plants. Another time, there wasn't any color. It changed every time, but there was always a storm. The one-eyed witch was there, too. She was standing in some old ruins, laughing and using some kind of magic to make the storm stronger. There were monsters of every kind and dark magic everywhere. But there was this one spot of light in the ruins. For a while, I couldn't figure out what it was, but I finally realized that that light was you." She looked Link in the eyes. "And today, at lunch. When I reached for your hand...I saw that vision again. It seemed to speak to me, somehow...it told me that we needed your help. But beyond that, I've heard nothing."

The door clicked open, and Impa motioned them both inside. "Zelda's visions have never lied to us before," she said, "And I don't believe that they are about to lie to us any time soon."

"But what's all that even supposed to mean?" Link asked.

Zelda shrugged. "I don't know. I just have visions. I don't really get any explanation for them."

The three of them entered a small, mostly empty room. There was a small glass case on a table near the end of it, and a few chairs off to one side next to an end table. On the other side of the room was a small vanity, its mirror broken and a few drawers missing. Like the rest of the house, it was dark and difficult to see, but a single candelabra sat next to the glass case, providing a small source of light.

"There is an ancient force that can protect us," Impa continued. "It has been used in the past for that very purpose, but according to Zelda's visions, it has grown weak. In addition, no one knows how to use it, let alone where to find it. If we knew more of our history, we would know better how to use it to protect us from this darkness. That is why we are sending you and Zelda to the museum."

Zelda nodded. "There should be some clues hidden somewhere in there, either on display or stored away in the back. They might be able to tell us how to unlock the full potential of this force so that we can defend Hyrule from the witch before she grows too powerful."

"The museum holds but a small fraction of our history," Impa said. "Time has eroded away much of Hyrule's history, as did the great flood..."

"Flood?" Link echoed.

Impa shook her head. "Nevermind. Musings of an old guardian."

"Either way," Zelda continued, "We have to get there quickly. We're running out of time."

Link shuffled uncomfortably. "I still don't get any of this," he admitted. "I don't really see how I can help, but..."

Zelda placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm figuring this out as I go, too. As long as you can get me to the museum before midnight, I'm sure we can figure the rest out."

"If you say so..."

Impa unlocked the glass case, opening it up and gently lifting out a long object wrapped in golden silk and holding it in front of Zelda. "I never thought we'd ever need to use these," Impa said, "But dark times are approaching. Please use them wisely, Zelda."

Zelda nodded, taking the parcel and unwrapping it. Inside was an elegantly carved wood-and-gold bow, attached to a thick leather strap that held a single pouch. Zelda strapped the bow to her back. "Impa," she said quietly, "There's one other thing I'd like to use for this..."

Nodding, the woman reached into the display case, pulling back the lining and revealing a hidden compartment. Inside was an old choker made of light brown leather, on the center of which was a large, cloudy-grey gemstone. Compared to the elegance of the bow, it seemed rather ordinary and out of place. Zelda took the choker and handed it to Link. "I think you'll need this."

Link took the choker, staring at it. "Uh...thanks, I guess?" He said. "What's it for?"

"It's to protect you," Zelda replied simply. "At least, that's my best guess. I'm not sure how it works yet. Either way, you're going to need it. Put it on and let's head for the museum."

After giving the choker another odd look, Link lifted it up and clipped it around his neck. The hooks fastened snugly and it was surprisingly comfortable, but it would still take some getting used to.

"History is a strange thing," Impa commented, striding over to the table and picking up a black cloak before offering it to Zelda. "We know of only our past, and only little of it. One must wonder just how far back it goes, what our true history is, what other paths it could have taken. And most of all, one must wonder if the history we know is really true. Let us hope you find the answers you need in what little we have."

Zelda smiled weakly, taking the cloak and wrapping it around her shoulders. "I hope so, too. Thank you, Impa. Thank you for everything."

Impa nodded. "Best of luck to you, Zelda. If you need me, you know how to find me."

* * *

The storm outside was getting worse, but the house had remained protected. Neither Impa nor Zelda had a vehicle, so Link opted to have Zelda ride on the back of his bike. Castle Town was quite some distance away, but he doubted there would be too much trouble getting there before midnight with the backroads that he knew.

"We'll need to stay out of sight as much as possible," Zelda warned him, pulling up her hood. "There's no telling where that old witch is hiding, and we can't risk letting her see us."

Link nearly retorted that it was pretty hard for anyone to miss a cloaked stranger carrying around a bow while riding on the back of a courier bike, but the storm proved to be more concern for him than he would have liked.

The road was long, and Zelda remained silent nearly the whole way, allowing Link time with his thoughts. The delivery order clearly had to have been sent by Zelda. The time-sensitive nature had to deal with this storm, or perhaps the witch looking for her. As for the package, it was Zelda herself. Still, this whole mess was a lot to take in. Evil sorceress with incredible destructive powers summoning storms and hunting down an innocent girl, and his new classmate not only having psychic visions or whatever, but having psychic visions about _him_. He kept expecting someone to spring a punchline on him at any moment, revealing that this was all just some elaborate prank. But with every ominous crack of thunder, he was reminded that this was indeed very, very real.

Fear began to plague his mind. What if something went wrong? What if the witch was lying in wait for them at the musuem? Even worse, what if she was following them? What if, either way, they were too late?

 _Just focus,_ he told himself.  _Get Zelda to the museum. That's your priority. That's why you're here. You can worry about the rest later..._

Through use of several shortcuts and a lot of desperate pedaling, Link and Zelda made it to Castle Town in record time. Link had rarely ever been to the city, and he'd never been out in it this late at night, let alone in a storm. It was less busy than during the peak of the day, but they both opted to keep to the less busy routes anyway to stay out of sight.

Before long, the two of them made it to the museum at the edge of town. This district of the city was relatively quiet, and they had little worry of someone finding them. Link parked his bike in some bushes, and both of them made their way to the back door of the museum.

"Link," Zelda asked, "How much do you know about history?"

"I make B's most of the time in class if that's what you're asking," Link replied.

"Close enough. Do you mind coming in with me for this? Two sets of eyes are better than one."

"Sure, but d'you have any idea how we're getting in? They're not exactly open this late at night."

Zelda grinned. "I know how to get in here without setting off the alarm."

Link immediately stepped back. "Whoa whoa whoa, hang on! We're breaking and entering?!"

"Well, do you have any other ideas?" Zelda asked, shrugging. "They're closed, and this is kind of an emergency. Besides, if anything happens, I'll handle it. Don't worry."

"But this is _against the law!"_

"Link, there's a crazy witch coming after me who probably wants to destroy the entire tri-city are who knows what else. I think the legal system is the least of our worries right now." Zelda approached the back door and pulled a pocket knife out of the pouch on her bow strap, sticking it in the frame of the door. "These locks shouldn't be that hard to pick. Impa taught me a few tricks just in case I'd have to do this someday. Never thought I'd be using it for this, though..."

With some fumbling around the doorframe, there eventually came a few clicks, and Zelda withdrew her knife. "That should get us inside. Just be careful not to trip any alarms, alright?"

The two of them edged their way through the door, letting it close quietly behind them. The museum was dark, though not nearly as dark as the mansion had been, and the rooms were full of glass cases full of artifacts. The floors were a plain white marble, and the walls were pale enough to match.

"Look for anything that might have a connection with a legendary hero of any kind," Zelda instructed, "Or anything that was used to protect Hyrule. Let me know if you find anything."

There were a lot of artifacts in the museum that Link would have otherwise really looked at if he weren't in such a hurry. Old currency, sea charts, scale models of trains and locations, and even an ancient prototype model of a pictobox. As he headed further into the exhibit with Zelda, things began to get a bit more interesting. There was an old boomerang on display, a hammer (shaped like a skull, for some reason), and a pair of shoes made entirely out of thick iron ("Who would wear something so ridiculous?" Zelda commented when Link pointed them out. "They probably weigh a ton!"). There was also a whip fashioned to look like a snake, and a long stretch of rope with a metal claw at the end of it. Although the descriptions of the items seemed to bear some sort of link to a hero, they felt more like dead ends than anything. There was nothing stating how the hero had used them in his quest; only their base purposes were stated or guessed at, and the fact that the hero probably once possessed them was mentioned. Still, it was better than nothing, and at least it meant they were on the right track.

"Link, come look at this!"

In one display case was an old, decaying map. It seemed to be a map of a set of islands, completely hand-drawn in fine ink. Marked in red were various notes in messy handwriting, although Link was able to make out bits and pieces of it. He squinted. "Seven-Star Isles..." He muttered. "Triumph Forks...? Hang on, there's something else written here." He leaned forward a little. "It's crossed out," he said. "The writing in red at the bottom...Triforce Shard?"

"Triforce?" Zelda echoed. "That must be the ancient force that Impa was talking about. Why's it being mentioned on this map?"

Link shook his head. "I dunno," he replied. "But it's as good a clue as any. It looks like someone used this map to find it. Judging by the notes on here, it was split into pieces, too."

Zelda crossed her arms. "So, where is it now?"

"Beats me," Link replied. "This map is pretty old; it could be anywhere by now. What I wanna know is why the force was split into pieces and hidden like that, and why. If it was such a powerful protective force, why would they go through so much trouble to _hide_ it?"

"Uh, Link?" Zelda whispered.

Link glanced up. "Yeah?"

"The alarm should have triggered when you got close like that."

A loud crash of thunder sounded, and a brilliant flash of lightning nearly blinded both of them. A strong wind blew through the museum, throwing Zelda and Link to the back of the room. The crashing of tables and glass filled their ears, and the wind howled with anger. When Link's vision finally stabilized again, he could make out a cloud of darkness in the center of the room. A loud, slow cackling filled the room, and a single, sickly yellow eye peered out from the cloud.

Zelda leapt to her feet in front of Link, her bow already in hand. She drew back the string, and a line of light appeared, forming a brilliant, luminous arrow. Zelda let the arrow fly, and it pierced the darkness, dissipating the clouds and turning the mad laughter into a shriek. A short old woman wearing a ragged, mud-brown robe stumbled out, peering down her crooked nose with the same yellow eye that had been staring down at them. Wiry grey hair poked out from underneath her hood, and a set of dirty bandages obscured one of her eyes. She looked relatively unassuming, had it not been for her concealed eye and the fact that she wore a large black necklace, adorned with an enormous red jewel with two smaller amethysts on either side of it.

The hag straightened herself, lacing together her long, spindly fingers and grinning. "You've hardly changed a bit, have you, princess?" She taunted hoarsely.

 _Princess...?_ Link glanced at Zelda, whom ignored him in favor of readying another of her mystic arrows.

"It keeps working against you, so I don't see why I should," Zelda shot back. "Move again, and I shoot. I came prepared for you _this_ time, Witch."

"Must you make this so _difficult_?" The witch said, sighing. "I only wish to take the ancient power you hold within you."

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "I don't have the ancient power. I keep telling you that, but you never listen! What makes you think I have it, anyway?!"

The witch laughed. "Ah, but you _do_ , my girl! It's alive and kicking, even after all these years! The mark you have is all the proof you need! Now, give it to me, or I'll be forced to do this the hard way."

There was a moment's hesitation, and Zelda's fierce expression faltered for a second. But as quickly as it left, it came back twofold. "I'm going to shoot you again if you come anywhere near me!" Zelda cried.

Link pressed his back against the wall, eyes wide in fear. "Zelda..." he muttered. "What is she talking about?"

There was a pause as the hag turned her attention from Zelda to Link. Her eye widened in interest. "Ah, I see you've brought a friend. Tell me, did your visions lead you to him? Or are you so scared that you had to bring a bodyguard?"

Zelda ignored the witch's taunts. "I will ask you one more time," she snarled, "And no more lies! Why are you hunting me down?"

"No matter how many times you ask, girl, you'll get the same answer!" The witch bellowed. "You have the ancient power that I want! No, that...that I _need,_ yes. It is that ancient and unstoppable power that I have a most dire _need_ of, and I will not stop until it is _mine!"_

A burst of dark wind flew forward. Zelda let loose another arrow, cleaving the wind in half, but the witch was faster. The witch evaded the arrow, dashing forward with incredible speed. In a blur of motion, the bow was thrown out of Zelda's hands and the witch was holding her against the wall with an invisible force. "You've evaded me long enough, Princess!" She screeched. "If you will not give it to me, I will take that power from you myself!" She lifted Zelda into the air, encasing her in a dark, thundering cloud, hovering a good four feet above the ground.

Link leaped to his feet. "Hold on, Zelda!" He cried, running forward. He wasn't sure what had come over him. In any other situation, he'd be too scared to move. He'd run away, try to find someone else to help. But something held him here, something  _compelled_ him to stay and fight. Before he could come close, however, the hag vanished. In her place appeared a series of pitch-black vines, sprouting from the ground and grasping Link's limbs, locking him tightly in place.

The hag reappeared several feet in front of him and clapped her hands. "What a courageous little boy you are," she cooed. "It's simply _adorable_."

"Let him go, you coward!" Zelda demanded.

"I don't believe I will," The hag replied, staring absently at the ceiling. "He's just going to be a thorn in my side no matter what I try. If I kill him, he'll just come back and haunt me like the last one did, and I really would rather not have to deal with any more exorcisms. It's difficult enough as it is." She held forward a single hand, summoning what appeared to be a gleaming black hole, crackling with bright red energy. She peered at it, grinning. "I've been meaning to do this for _years_ , but it's simply no fun to use it on someone who can't fight back. It's not _nearly_ as fun as killing, but this way I've no messes to clean up..."

"Stop!" Link cried. "What are you going to do to her?!" 

"You should be more worried about where I'm going to be sending you, boy!"

The witch let loose the crackling sphere on Link. It hit him square in the chest, eliciting a scream from his throat as pain took over his body. The pain faded, gradually being overtaken by numbness. The sound of static crept into his ears, gradually growing louder. He looked down in horror to see his body gradually vanishing before him, breaking off into fragments of darkness and being pulled into the black hole. Link's breath caught in his throat. "Wha--what's happening to me?!"

"Oh dear," the woman chimed. "Did I say to worry  _where_ I would send you? I really meant to say... _when_. You really must forgive me, boy; my age does these things to me."

Link's stomach sank to his feet in dread. "What do you--"

The numbing sensation spread to the rest of his body. The last thing he heard before the static took over was the woman cackling in laughter. Just as his vision faded, an intense and nearly blinding light burned forth, obscuring his vision. Then, the static faded, darkness took him, and he found himself falling gently through a cold abyss.


	4. Tetra and Link

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [[Spoilers for Wind Waker!]]

_"You still don't know what today is, do you?"_

_"She's gone! There's nothing you can do!"_

_"Such a bold attempt was foolhardy..."_

_"Acting before you think, as usual..."_

_"Its power is gone, and its edges are dull!"_

_"There is no safe haven for you!"_

The voices echoing in Link's ears faded, being replaced with a low, dull humming as he felt his descent slow to a crawl. The abyss was cold, and his limbs felt limp and weak. His eyes stung, and as he reached up to rub them, he felt a dull burning in his chest, and the cold seemed to swirl around him, as though it were... 

...water?

Link immediately felt his lungs lock up and his senses sharpen. The coolness around him became bitingly cold, and he instinctively cried out in shock, only for a torrent of salty water to flood into his mouth in protest, and the resulting bubbles to momentarily block out his vision. He flailed in desperate attempt to begin swimming to the surface, only to realize that he had no idea which way was up.

Something cold and hard snapped around his midsection, and Link felt himself being dragged rapidly upward. The darkness of the water began to shrink back in favor of light, and the crushing pressure lessened. The moment his head broke free of the water, Link coughed and spat, gasping desperately for air. The moment he had fresh (albeit salty) air in his lungs, a wave of exhaustion came over him, and his vision began to blur. Frantic voices called out to him, but he hadn't the energy to respond to them. He felt his body being pulled to the side, the claw releasing him and allowing him to drop to a hard, flat surface. He trembled, the cold setting in, and weakness overtook him as his senses finally gave out.

* * *

Link woke up to find himself lying in what felt like a hammock. The sound of creaking wood and crashing waves filled his ears. Warm blankets covered him, and his clothes felt...different. He still ached, his ears still rang, his eyes refused to open. But the pain was lessening, and something warm pulsed within him. Most importantly, he was dry, and still alive. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. He tried to lift his arm, but found that he was still exhausted, and resorted opening his eyes. He had to squint at first, but soon he was able to clearly see his surroundings.

He was in a large room, composed almost entirely of planks of wood. There were several boxes and barrels lying about, and lanterns hanging down from the ceiling. The room was spacious, but it felt as though the whole world around him were slowly rocking back and forth. Judging from the swinging of the lanterns above, perhaps it was. The scent of salt water, old wood, and metal filled the air, and as his hearing finally settled, Link could make out voices above him. He gently pushed himself up into a sitting position, surveying the room around him. There were several hammocks hanging around the room, all of them empty.  _Am I on some kind of ship...?_ he wondered.

Link removed the blankets laying on top of him and examined his new set of clothing. He was wearing a loose, plain blue tunic and an equally loose set of brown pants. His clothes from before were hung up on what appeared to be an indoor clothes line. The choker, however, remained on his neck. It was an odd comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

A sudden pang of pain shot through Link's head and he winced, squeezing his eyes shut and cradling his head in his hands. Memories of what had happened earlier raced through his mind. Breaking into the museum, the attack from the One-Eyed Witch, being pulled through that vortex and trapped in the abyss. He barely had any idea what was happening, much less what was happening to him. He felt lost and scared. Link let his shoulders relax, taking a slow, steady breath. Just where...or when, if the witch was to be believed...where or when  _was_  he?

He stood, albeit a bit uneasily, and made his way toward a nearby door, shoving it open and making his way up a small staircase, to another door. The voices were much clearer now, and he swore he could hear something calling to him. He reached for the door, but something made him pause. There was a particular voice outside the door yelling almost non-stop, interrupted only by brief responses from others. Link carefully opened the door, peering outside.

He could see a wide, open sky, full of clouds, and a large wooden deck. There were several men scurrying about, but standing front-and-center was a girl whom had to be several years younger than him, with tanned skin and blonde hair pulled up into a bun. She wore loose white pants and a blue vest, and there was a pouch and a scimitar strapped to her belt. She was gazing at one of the men with a fierce, stern expression.

"--want this ship docked at Windfall by tonight! Now, get moving!"

"Aye, Miss Tetra!"

Link's jaw dropped. Tetra?  _The_ Tetra? The founder of New Hyrule? No...no, it couldn't be. Queen Tetra lived centuries ago; this had to be someone who shared a similar name. Even so, the girl bore a striking resemblance to the many depictions of New Hyrule's founding queen. Perhaps that's where she got her name...?

Link inched a little closer to the door opening, hoping to get a better view of the deck. The moment he did, the girl - who, judging by her expression, was about to give out a sarcastic retort to one of the nearby crewmen - turned and looked directly in his direction. Link gasped quietly and backed away a little. Tetra was a much sharper girl than he thought.

"Well, well," Tetra said, grinning. "Looks like the castaway finally woke up. You gonna come outside or what?"

Part of his mind was convinced that this was some sort of trap. That the moment he stepped outside, things would take a sharp turn for the worse and his luck would run out. Or, perhaps, whatever crazy dream this was would end. Either way, he hardly had any place to run, so he nudged open the door and stepped outside. 

The breeze outside was crisp and clean, thick with the scent of the sea. It felt different from Faron, but it wasn't unwelcome. Link hadn't realized until he was several steps outside that he wasn't wearing any shoes or socks, but he didn't mind too terribly much. The sky was clear and welcoming, and the wind was billowing into several sails bearing a symbol of two crossed swords, with a flag up above emblazoned with a skull and crossbones. Link's eyes widened.  _A pirate ship...? What am I doing on a pirate ship?_

"You done staring yet?"

His gaze whipped back to Tetra. He winced, backing away a step. "Sorry!"

"Sheesh," Tetra grumbled, rolling her eyes and placing her hands on her hips. "Look, you can calm down. If we wanted you dead, we would have left you out in the middle of the Great Sea to drown."

She certainly didn't mince words. "You were the ones that saved me...?" Link asked.

Tetra lifted an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. We were trying to dig up some treasure. Instead, we ended up with _you_." She punctuated her statement with a firm and intimidating look, causing Link to step back. "Speaking of which, how'd you end up out there, anyway?" Tetra asked.

Link hesitated. How was he to expect anyone to believe what had happened to him before he woke up on their ship? "I...well, don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

"I've seen and heard and dealt with plenty of weird stuff. I'm pretty sure nothing you have to say is going to phase me. You want proof of that, just ask the guy with the green hat up in the crow's nest." She jerked her head in the direction of the ladder nearby.

"Who?"

"A good friend of mine, and probably the reason you're not still out in the ocean drowning." Tetra turned away before the chills could finish running down Link's spine, shouting up at the lookout nest. "'hoy! Get down here, Link!"

_Wait...Link?!_

Link's breath caught in his throat; his name wasn't exactly a very common one, but the chances of him sharing it with someone else, however low, were still there. This had to be some kind of strange coincidence, or a dream that the witch had trapped him in. Part of his mind hoped that this entire scenario was just some bizarre dream entirely from the start, and that he was still in bed, late for class once more.

The wind shifted and slowed, and the slight lurching of the ship snapped Link out of his thoughts. He followed Tetra's gaze to the lookout nest. There was a muffled cry, and a small figure hopped out of the nest and began rapidly climbing down the ladder. After a short amount of time climbing down, the boy hopped off the ladder and fell the rest of the way onto the deck, landing lightly on his feet. When Link finally got a good look at the boy, now that he was closer, he was stunned.

Looking at the boy was like looking at a mirror. Granted, the boy was notably younger than him, but everything else was strikingly similar. He was wearing a green tunic and white pants, along with what appeared to be a long green cap and a leather belt. It was a relatively simple outfit, but Link had seen it numerous times before in artwork depicting the heroes from the legends. It was also historically known to be the attire of cadets and other low-ranking soldiers, so Link had certainly seen it before on mannequins and the like. The eeriness of sharing a face and his name with this boy, combined with seeing clothes that he'd previously only seen in museums, sent his mind reeling.

"Your twin finally woke up," Tetra teased, jabbing the green-clad boy in the arm. "I figured you might want to come down and see him when he's not half-dead for a change."

The boy turned to Link and smiled cheerfully. "'hoy! How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm either dreaming or I've gone completely crazy," Link replied. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Link," The boy replied, his smile fading and making way for a baffled expression. "Why?"

He lifted his hand to his head in hopes of stopping the oncoming headache, but it hardly worked. His thoughts were racing faster than he could keep up with them. Too much had happened already for him to comprehend, and now he had a doppelganger to add to the pile of strange things he'd dealt with in the past few waking hours of his life. "I've got to be dreaming," he reasoned with himself aloud. "I have to be."

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't know. You've got my face, you've got my name...you're wearing a uniform that no one's touched for centuries." He shook his head, but it only seemed to make the feeling worse. "Either that witch did something horrible to me, or this is the craziest dream I've ever had."

The boy blinked vacantly. "What are you talking about?"

"Whatever it is, I have a feeling it's one heck of a story," Tetra said sternly before turning to the crew. "'Keep this ship running while I'm inside! And don't bother me unless it's an emergency!"

A chorus of "Aye aye!" followed Tetra's order, and she led both Links inside the ship's cabin. The boy gave Link one last worried glance before hurrying toward the door to follow Tetra. Link followed suit, his mind still racing.

* * *

Tetra's room in the ship wasn't spacious, but it was by no means small. The younger Link had taken to sitting next to Tetra on a small, green couch. Link, meanwhile, was standing by the door, his eyes darting everywhere. There was a wooden dresser with a small chest full of jewels sitting on top of it to one side. There were dual scimitars mounted above the bed. Across from the bed was a desk with a small lamp, a globe, and several framed pictures resting upon it or on the wall. Above the couch was a portrait of a beautiful woman (When he asked about it, Tetra refused to comment). What really caught his eye, however, was an old painting of the legendary hero, hanging above the bed. Link recognized that painting from his textbooks, and his eyes lingered on it for some time.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do," Tetra began. "How about you start by telling us what you were doing out in the middle of the ocean? Aside from drowning, that is."

Link took a deep breath, and to the best of his ability, recounted the attack from the One-Eyed Witch. Both Tetra and the younger Link were attentive and listened well, although while the young Link's eyes were filled with curiosity, Tetra looked suspicious and hard to read. Link did his best to cover as many details as he could remember from the incident, especially the magic that the witch had used, but left Zelda unnamed. Some part of him felt that he might endanger her if he named her; after all, with the One-Eyed Witch pursuing her, there was no telling if anyone else would be after her for similar reasons.

"When I woke up underwater, I thought I was going to drown," Link continued. "I hardly even remember you guys pulling me up."

Tetra leaned back, crossing her arms. "Well, I can't say I've heard any crazier stories than this one. Still, considering all that, you're lucky to be alive."

"You mean you believe me?" Link asked.

"Of course we do." Tetra glanced away. "If it weren't for the fact that you look like Link's long lost twin, we probably would have dropped you off on the nearest island and let someone else deal with you. Most of us thought you wouldn't make the night."

Link grinned weakly. The way Tetra spoke was caustic, but her expression betrayed a hint of genuine concern. "Thanks, I guess."

Tetra stood up. "Just one thing," she said. "Earlier you said Link's getup was a uniform that hadn't been touched for centuries."

"It's the same outfit that recruits and low-ranking soldiers used to wear," Link explained, "But nobody's worn them for two hundred years or so."

The boy and Tetra exchanged curious glances.

"There's a few people who think that the uniform was based on some old legend," Link continued, "Because it's green and all. But it's just a theory and not a lot of people believe it."

The younger Link sat up at the mention of legends. "Mine's from a legend," He said. "There's a tradition on my island where you dress like the legendary hero when you come of age."

"And you couldn't be bothered to get a change of clothes afterwards," Tetra remarked. The younger Link shot her an annoyed look, to which she shrugged. "What?"

"Hang on!" Link interjected. "The legendary hero?" Memories swam in his head of the Hero of Winds from the many tales his grandmother had told him. To think that even in this strange place, they'd have a common connection. _  
_

The younger Link nodded. "Yeah! The Hero of Time! You know, from all the stories!"

 _Wait a minute._ "Hero of  _Time?"_ He echoed. "That's not right..."

"It's not?" The boy replied, his face filled with confusion. "But that's what all the legends call him..."

"Finally, something you two _don't_ have in common," Tetra commented, looking calmly surprised. "How does the legend go where you heard it from?"

"Well," Link began, "The legend talks about how the Dark One rose from the bottom of the Great Sea. He laid a curse on it, and commanded a huge armored bird to kidnap children."

The younger Link's eyes widened. Tetra seemed similarly surprised, but was equally intrigued. "Go on," she urged.

Link glanced momentarily at the painting hanging over the bed, swallowing nervously. "Well, it goes on to say that the Hero of _Winds_ appeared and cast the Dark One to the bottom of the sea, using a mysterious sword. Then the curse was lifted." He shrugged. "There's not really anyone that knows the whole legend anymore, so we only have the gist of it."

While the younger Link was giving his elder counterpart a wide-eyed stare, Tetra offered a long, calculating stare before she spoke again. "Well, there was _definitely_ a Dark One, and he  _did_ have a giant bird. But I'd hardly call that thing armored, and he wasn't _just_ going around kidnapping children. He wasn't nearly that petty."

The way she spoke so casually about such an old legend took Link by surprise. Such a legend in his home was known far and wide, even if it was in bits and pieces without many of its former details. Whether or not it was true was debated constantly, but one would he hard-pressed to find someone who _didn't_ know the legend of the Hero of Winds. For anyone to know more than just the gist of the story, much less be so calm about it, was unthinkable. "You know more about it?"

"Yeah," Tetra replied. "We were _there_."

Link shook his head in disbelief. "That's impossible," he breathed. "That old story took place hundreds of years ago!"

Tetra folded her arms, giving Link a suspicious glare. "I'm starting to think that witch did more than just spirit you away."

"But you know more about the legend, right?" Link asked, ignoring Tetra's comment. "Please, tell me more! I need to know what happened!"

"That's an even longer story than yours," Tetra stated. "You'd be here a while, trust me."

"That's fine. I just have to know more about the legend. Impa said that learning more about that sort of thing could help us find and use the ancient force to protect ourselves from the One-Eyed Witch."

The younger Link perked up. "A force?" He said.

Link nodded eagerly. "Yes! I need to know where it is, and how to use it."

"Do you know what it's called?" the boy asked.

Link nodded. "Yeah. There were some scribblings about it on an old map in the museum that called it the Triforce."

The boy's expression shifted from cautious curiosity to shock, and Tetra's shifted to downright disbelief. The two exchanged glances, and Link's heart leaped with hope.  _He knows something, doesn't he? Please let it be good news._ "No one really knows much about it," he continued. "All I know is that I need to find it and use it to protect my home. It might even be able to get me back there. Can you tell me anything about it?"

The boy rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Well..."

"It's not every day you run into someone on the Great Sea that even knows what that thing is called," Tetra commented. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you? And here we nearly left you for dead."

Link winced inwardly at that comment. He wasn't entirely sure if he could trust Tetra, even if his doppelganger seemed to. Even so, something deep within his mind told him that they were trustworthy, and considering the circumstances, they were his only hope at this point. If he were going to be trapped in this scenario, he might as well go with it, dream or not. "I have to find it," Link insisted. "If I don't, something bad could happen to Zelda, and then--"

"Hold it!" Tetra cried, her jaw dropping and any semblance of sarcasm or amusement vanishing. "Who did you say was in trouble?!"

Before Link could answer, much less chastise himself for blurting out his friend's name, the doors burst open, and one of the pirates - a tall, burly one wearing the blue tunic and orange hat - raced in, a panicked look on his face. "Miss Tetra!!!"

Tetra's look of surprise vanished, replaced almost immediately by a stern glare. "What is it?!" She demanded. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of a very important conversation?"

"It's one of the Rito, Miss Tetra! She nearly crashed right into our ship! She's asking for Link!"

The boy in question was already rushing out the door. Tetra quickly followed, and Link - more out of curiosity than anything - followed suit. They raced out the door to deck, the light momentarily blinding them as their eyes adjusted. On the deck, surrounded by a few of the crewmen, was a girl hardly much older than Tetra or the other Link. She was wearing a long, blue tunic with an elegant red sash, and her hair - a long brown ponytail - was blowing softly in the wind. More startling, however, was the large beak on the girl's face, replacing what would have been a nose. She was kneeling on the deck, exhausted and gasping for breath, her body shaking in exhaustion.

"Medli!" The younger Link cried. "What happened?!"

"Link!" The girl said, her face briefly expressing relief before fearful urgency took it over once more. "I've been looking everywhere for you! I'm sorry, but I need you to come back with me to Dragon Roost, quickly!"

The boy placed his hands on her shoulders. "Medli, slow down! You flew all this way just to get us--"

The bird-girl shook her head. "There's no time!" She cried, her face riddled with panic. What she said next sent nearly the entire crew into a state of fearful shock. "It's Valoo! Something's happened, he--he's _gone_!"

"Change of plans, everyone!" Tetra shouted, fists clenched. "We sail for Dragon Roost Island,  _NOW!"_


	5. Into the Dragon's Den

"The wind isn't blowing the right way," Nudge observed. "It'll take us much longer to reach Dragon Roost Island unless the wind changes..."

Tetra crossed her arms. "Well, isn't that just great. We run into an emergency, and the wind isn't on our side."

"Can we still get there, though?" Link asked. "Even with the wind pointing the wrong way?"

"Yeah," Tetra replied, "But it'll take us a _lot_ longer. We need the wind to change direction if we want to make it to Dragon Roost Island before things get out of hand."

The younger Link, whom had been tending to Medli, glanced up, attentive. Then, without a word, he raced inside the cabin, kicking the door firmly shut behind him. Tetra made her way over to Medli, then barked several orders at the crew as everyone scurried about. Link, not wanting to get in anyone's way, headed for the starboard side of the ship, careful to make sure he didn't walk in front of anyone.

The ship gradually began to turn, heading for a tall island far in the distance. It looked more like a flat-topped mountain jutting out from the sea than a proper island, surrounded by rocky spires. The ship made its way towards the island, though it moved considerably slower than it had been moving earlier.

Link closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again and staring at the water. So much had happened within the last few waking hours of his life that he hardly knew what to do with himself. One minute he was just any other kid who went to school and held a part-time job on the side. Next thing he knew, he had been thrown into the middle of a plot that sounded like it was plucked right out of a fairy tale. As if things couldn't get worse, he was now far from home, and there was a kid who looked just like him walking around. Zelda was in great danger, but he was too far out of reach to do anything about it. All he had was a choker that was supposed to protect him, but how? There were too many questions and not enough answers.

The wind blew softly at his face, and something within him stirred. He sighed, shutting his eyes and letting his head droop, allowing the feeling to sink in and fade. Was it homesickness? Or perhaps something else entirely? He had no idea where he was, let alone what he was going to do. For now, he would just have to go along with the events he was faced with. It was certainly better than nothing, and if he was lucky, maybe it would help him find a way back home.

"Hey."

It took him a moment to realize that he was the one being addressed. When he did, he opened his eyes, letting them linger on the sea for a moment, before turning to see Tetra standing next to him. "Yeah?" He asked uneasily.

"You're from the future, aren't you?"

Link inhaled a bit more sharply than he intended, blinking wide-eyed at Tetra. She certainly didn't waste time with words when she didn't feel like it. "Wha?"

Tetra shrugged. "You talk about Link's outfit like it's super old, and the whole legend about the Dark One and the Hero of Winds wasn't that long ago for us. There's only one explanation I can really think of." She stretched, placing her hands behind her head and leaning against the mast. "That doesn't explain how you share a name and face with pipsqueak, but at least that solves  _one_  mystery."

Although he wasn't keen on believing it, Tetra had a point. That witch must have sent him through time somehow. Was that what that black hole was? In the back of his mind, he clung to the possibility that this was still just a dream, but the evidence was plain, and there was no other explanation. As strange as this seemed to Link, though, he noted that Tetra was hardly even phased. "You don't seem very surprised by it," he pointed out.

"Like I said, I've dealt with weirder things than this. Plus, the evidence fits, doesn't it?"

Narrowing his eyes in thought, Link turned the thoughts over in his head. No matter how he looked at it, it was the only thing that made sense. With all he'd felt and seen so far, he wanted to believe it was just a dream, but the more he wanted to believe it, the less dream-like it felt. "But how's _that_ even possible?"

"If there's anything you learn out here on the Great Sea," Tetra stated, "Especially when you hang out around someone like Link, it's that _nothing's_ impossible. The moment you start questioning it, there's a good chance that some cruel twist of fate will pull you right into the middle of something just to prove to you wrong."

Link turned his gaze back out to the sea. "It sure is a lot to take in," he admitted. "I've never really been near to the sea before, let alone on a boat right in the middle of it. I had no idea it was this...well, huge. And the air here is really different, too."

"Don't get out much, do you?" Tetra commented.

"You noticed, huh?" Link said, grinning weakly. "Faron's not exactly a huge neighborhood. Whenever I did head out for deliveries and such, I usually never left city limits."

Tetra rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You and Link both... You never got around until something big happened. Then you end up gawking at anything new that comes your way."

He stared at the horizon for a while, and another soft breeze passed by. "Hey...Tetra?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's the Hero of Winds?"

Tetra paused. "What do you mean?"

"You know..." Link turned around, leaning on the railing. "What's he like? Could he..." It felt ridiculous to say. "...did the wind really obey him?"

There was a pause while Tetra stared blankly at him. Then, a knowing grin spread across his face. "Well, funny you should mention that," she replied. "The Hero of Winds...he's not really someone you'd expect at first glance."

"Really?"

"Nah. He's reckless, clumsy...kinda high-strung, too. Tends to act before he thinks so he's always getting into trouble." Tetra laughed. "But he's got a good heart. Always does what he thinks is right, no matter what. I can't say I've met anyone braver than him, either, and...well, he's full of surprises."

"Like what?" Link asked.

"Well, he does something clever when you least expect it. Plus, he'd never sailed once in his life, and then the moment he set foot on a boat, suddenly he just... _knew_ the wind. It was like it spoke to him or something. Pretty sure it still does, sometimes."

Link smiled. "He's still around, I take it?"

Tetra winked at him. "A lot closer than you think."

Before Link could respond, his younger double raced forward, holding up a small leather box. "Hoy, Tetra! I found it!"

"Took you long enough!" Tetra remarked, turning towards the younger Link. "Head on up to the crow's nest and do your thing."

The boy nodded and raced over to the ladder, practically bouncing onto it and racing upward. Link was about to follow him when Tetra grabbed his sleeve. "Nuh-uh, you're staying right down here."

"What?" Link blurted. "Why?!"

Tetra frowned sternly. "You've never even been on a boat before. Do you really expect me to trust you to sit all the way up in the Crow's Nest without falling to your death?"

Link scowled, but didn't argue. Tetra knew the sea - and her ship - a lot better than he did, so she knew better than he did. He resumed his spot leaning against the rail, watching as his younger copy continued up the ladder, only to disappear into the crow's nest above. He turned his gaze to Tetra, whom approached Medli and began to speak, her words hushed and hurried. Medli cast a stray glance to Link, her eyes wide with surprise, and nodded at Tetra, muttering something in reply. Link sighed and stared off in the distance at the island again. It was closer now, but they hadn't made very much progress. Without the right wind, it would take them ages to get there. Even he knew that.

Almost on cue, the wind stirred unnaturally, carrying with it whispers of a song. Link paused, straightening and unconsciously holding his breath to better hear the faded voices. The more he strained to listen, the more he could make out hints of a ghostly choir, singing wordless notes. The pleasant breeze that had been blowing past earlier petered out, and sat still in the air. It waited, and for a moment, Link felt something deep within him, some kind of strength or other intangible _thing_ , pulse weakly. It was as if something had tried to speak him, but its voice was barely above a whisper.

Before the feeling could sink in, a burst of wind surged forth, nearly knocking Link over entirely and snapping him out of his entranced state. He ended up stumbling rather clumsily down the deck. Not wanting to incur another incident in case the wind decided to attack him again, Link clung to the rails on the side of the ship. "What the--?!"

Nearby, Tetra was cackling loudly. "Oh man, the look on your face!" She cried. "That was  _priceless!"_

"What was that?!" Link cried. "The wind just--it  _changed!"_

"Just our luck, huh?" Tetra replied, beaming. "Looks like we'll make it to Dragon Roost Island within the hour at this rate."

"Really?" Medli asked, her face lighting up with hope.

Tetra winked. "Absolutely."

The bird-beaked girl let out a sigh of relief. "I just hope everything is alright over there," she said. "The entire island's been in chaos ever since news of Valoo's disappearance reached us..."

"Who's Valoo?" Link asked.

"A powerful sky spirit that protects the Rito tribe and gives them their wings," Tetra responded. Link gave the other girl a baffled look - he didn't see any wings on Medli - but she ignored him. "Normally, you can see him sitting on top of the island, but right now it looks like he's not there."

"I went to check on him this morning," Medli said, "But he was nowhere to be found. The mountain seemed quiet, too. It's like he just vanished into thin air."

"Couldn't you have gotten some of your guards or something to take a look at things?" Tetra asked. "Why come all the way to find us?"

Medli shook her head. "No one could find anything. I don't like the sound of it, but I think there might be dark magic at work."

"Dark magic?" Link echoed.

Tetra looked incredibly wary. "Why would there be dark magic there?" She said. "Ganon's long gone..."

"It's not the same as before," Medli replied. "The place is almost entirely empty, but Prince Komali said he thought he saw an eye staring at him in one of the chambers..."

Link's mind screeched to a halt. "An eye?" he said. "A yellow one, by any chance?" _Please say no, please say no..._

"I think so," Medli replied. "Why?"

His breath caught in his throat, and his heart froze. Tetra caught his horrified expression, and stared at him with fearful expectancy. He returned the look, his eyes still wide as saucers. A yellow eye, dark magic...it could only mean one thing.

_The One-Eyed Witch._

* * *

Link's clothes had finished drying, and there was enough time for him to slip them back on before they headed out. He was more than happy to have his usual hoodie back on; the tunic was comfortable, but it felt too thin against the wind. He received several stares from the pirates, especially from the shorter one with the buck teeth, but he did his best to ignore them and any comments thrown his way. The younger Link had long since descended the ladder from the crow's nest by the time he came back outside, and was eagerly chatting with Medli. The two clearly had some history and hadn't spoken in a long time, so Link decided to let them be for now. He did, however, eye the sword and shield that the boy had strapped to his back. The boy also had what appeared to be a long stretch of rope - tipped in a metal claw - strapped to his belt, and in his hands was a wooden bow, eerily similar to the one that Zelda had used in the museum.

While he waited for the ship to arrive at the dock, Link found himself pondering the sudden shift in wind from before. His mind kept recalling the legend. The Hero of Winds, whom was able to control the wind. Judging from how Tetra had responded to him, the Hero of Winds was still around, at least in this timeline.  _Closer than you think,_ he reminded himself.  _Tetra knows something, and she isn't telling me._

By the time the ship docked at Dragon Roost Island, the sun was setting and storm clouds had rolled in. Link, Link's double, Medli, and Tetra had left the ship (Tetra made it abundantly clear that Link was only coming because the incident might have something to do with the witch) and made their way up the wooden walkways to a cavern within the island.

Inside the cavern was a network of passages, connected by a large central chamber. Many older Rito walked about with letters in their hands, placing them in boxes, or off to the side stuffing them into messenger bags. Link felt right at home there; somehow it reminded him of the old courier center. There were several banners hanging about, each depicting the same symbol that adorned their tunics. There was a walkway leading up to the second level, where one of the Rito was sorting letters among a set of boxes like Link had seen in a post office back in Faron. When the group made it through the entrance archway, many of the Rito turned to stare. Link felt like turning right back around and heading right back to the ship to avoid their piercing gazes, but he knew Tetra would have none of that. He settled for chewing on his lip and continuing inward.

"Medli!"

Their heads turned to a Rito man garbed in a violet tunic standing on the second level. He was peering over the ledge, red eyes locked onto the group, his white hair spiked backward. He leaped from the balcony, and - in a move that had Link struggling to keep from gawking - his arms transformed into enormous wings, with which he glided gracefully down to the first level of the cave. Upon landing, his wings vanished as quickly as they had first appeared.

"Quill!" Medli greeted, jogging up to him. "I'm sorry I left without warning. I found Link! He might be able to help us again!"

"It's a good thing you did," Quill replied. "After you left, Komali insisted on continuing his investigation of the cavern. He has yet to return, and we've no way of finding him."

Medli's face paled considerably. "What?!"

"We've sent at least two search parties by now," Quill continued. "Only one of them returned. They haven't found any sign of him, not even a single feather. They've scoured the place high and low. The only chamber they've not been able to enter is the central room beneath Valoo's roost. They say it has been sealed..."

"What about an eye?" Link interjected. "Has anyone else seen a yellow eye?"

Quill turned his gaze to Link, prepared to answer, but stopped short. Link took a cautious step back; he was getting rather tired of being stared at. Quill opened his mouth to speak, but Tetra cleared her throat loudly, stopping him. "We can explain why boat-brain has a twin later," she said. "We've got more important things to worry about."

Link cast Tetra a thankful glance before he went back to Quill. "A large, yellow eye," he repeated, "Possibly floating in a dark cloud. Did the search party that came back say anything about it?"

"I believe so, actually," Quill replied. "One of them stated they saw it near the central chamber."

"That's got to be the witch," Link uttered.

"Then what're we standing here for?" The younger Link exclaimed.

Quill held a hand up sternly, as though to calm them. "I wouldn't be so hasty," he said. "No one else has returned, if you go in there--"

"But Komali could be in trouble!" The younger Link interrupted. "We have to go find him!"

"This isn't the Dragon Roost Cavern you may have known in the past, Link!"

But Quill's words went unheard. The younger Link was already rushing toward the entrance to the cavern, and Tetra followed closely behind, a determined look etched on her face. The elder Rito sighed. "I see he's still prone to throwing caution to the wind..."

"Link does have a habit of acting before he thinks," Medli agreed, worried. "I just hope he doesn't get in too much trouble this time..."

Something about Medli's words resonated with Link. A small voice echoed in his mind, the words difficult to make out, and he found his attention drawn to the archway his two friends had just run through. Should he follow them? The cavern was empty, but if that witch's eye had really been seen, who knew what was really waiting? The cavern was probably far more dangerous than it seemed, but he couldn't stay behind and keep a clear conscience. He clenched his fists, making his way towards the cavern.

"Wait!" Medli cried. "Where are you going?!"

"Standing around here isn't going to do much help," Link pointed out, pausing briefly, "And if Komali really did see the Witch's Eye, this might have something to do with me. I'm going in after them."

Before he could hear either of them protest, Link ran through the cavern archway.

* * *

A faint light, sleeping in a void, pulsing with only barely a thread of life. A vague darkness watching over it. The vision never made any sense to Zelda, but something told her it was important. She clung to it with all she knew, each time willing for it to tell her more. And now, in her dire hour of need, she was once again graced with it. But this time, something changed. This time, she could make out the details, as though a fog over the vision had finally been lifted.

A pale grey void, with a single, small light that could only barely pass for a fairy. It pulsed weakly, and threatened to flicker out at any given moment. Yet, hovering near it, a vaguely humanoid shadow watched over it carefully. At first, Zelda was alarmed by the shadow, but there was something about it that was calming, rather than threatening. The shadow held the light gently in its hands, peering carefully at it with dull, colorless eyes. It opened its mouth, speaking in an ancient, lost tongue, but the words that spilled forth were somehow clear as day.

_"In his waking hours, he slumbers. In his sleep, he struggles to awaken. So, too, do I..."_

The words echoed about the void, but just as Zelda opened her mouth to speak - she had questions, so many questions - the vision faded, and once more leaving Zelda in the waking world, hanging in the air, suspended by a dark cloud.

The witch stood beneath her, fingers laced together. "Stubborn girl, aren't you? That power you hold is stuck fast. Nothing I try will coax it out of you."

"Maybe you shouldn't take what isn't yours," Zelda muttered. "I'm pretty sure they used to cut off hands for that. That how you lost your eye, you old hag?"

"Ever like your ancestors," the witch snarled. "Queen Tetra would be proud of you, that much I can agree with."

Zelda grinned in triumph. She wasn't particularly proud of her royal lineage, but Queen Tetra was a major exception. Besides, any successful attempt to irritate the witch was enough of a victory for her, even if the only thing she accomplished was a little bought time.

"Now then," the witch continued, "If you won't give me the force willingly, I'll have to start being creative about this." She summoned another sphere of crackling magic, this one pulsing a deep red color. "And believe me, girl, taking that force from you isn't the only reason I'm here. You weren't the only one that came slithering into this museum looking for information..."

* * *

Link almost immediately regretted running off after his newly-found comrades. After crossing the spring and heading inside, Link found that Dragon Roost Cavern was rather dark, not to mention hot. After ducking through the initial doorway, he found a room with several torches and an assortment of pots (several of them broken and one with a green smoke coming out of it, which Link opted not to go near). Steam leaked through cracks in the stone, and every so often, Link felt a subtle pulse of heat. As he made his way through the cavern, there were numerous signs of prior activity: broken or burnt wooden barriers, shattered pots, and depressed switches. The scent of smoke filled the air.

Eventually, Link came upon a chamber much darker than the rest. There was a single torch lit nearby, along with a pot full of long, wooden sticks. Not wanting to stumble around blindly, Link picked up one of the sticks and lit it on the torch, making his way through the rest of the chamber. His footsteps echoed in the stone halls, and though the torch provided adequate light, it was still difficult to see. The chamber was featureless, aside from a few wooden barriers that were broken, apparently having been slashed through with a machete or other similar tool.

After some time in the darkness, Link came upon an unlit torch stand. He held his own torch up to it, igniting the wood chips sitting within it. A bright fire flared forth, illuminating the room. Link grinned in satisfaction; now at least he'd be able to see a bit better. As he turned to the door nearby, however, he heard a squeaking noise come from above him. He looked up just in time to see dozens of eyes staring back at him.

_Uh-oh._

There was a horrific chorus of squeaks and wing flaps as an entire flock of keese swarmed down from the roof of the cavern. Link yelped in shock, waving his torch madly at the flying beasts in hopes of keeping them at bay. Unfortunately, this only seemed to agitate them, and they descended upon him with a renewed vengeance. Link raced through the nearby door, slamming it shut behind him and leaning against it to keep it closed, eyes wide and lungs gasping for breath. The sounds of the keese screeching and banging into the door behind him were of little comfort, and only when the noises stopped did he dare edge away from the door.

The room Link now found himself in was full of pots, most of them untouched. There were a few torches nearby, and an empty treasure chest. Link dared not backtrack into the room full of keese, and instead made his way towards the ladder.

An angry, rippling shout resounded, and a nearby pot shattered into pieces. Link leaped out of the way just as an enormous, blue humanoid creature jumped out of the pot and sliced the air with a huge machete. The creature sneered at him with a bat-like face, fangs protruding from its lower jaw. Link pressed himself against the wall, backing away from the creature and looking for any opening that would allow him to scurry up the nearby ladder and out of the door. He should have listened to Quill; he should have gone in prepared. Now, if he didn't get out of here, this thing was sure to kill him.

The creature snarled several unintelligible words at him before racing forward again, its machete held high. Link dove to the side, dodging another blow, and scrambled for the ladder. He wasn't fast enough. The monster grabbed his ankle and snarled, raising its weapon. Link rolled to the side, jerking his ankle toward the ground to knock the creature off balance. His ankle released, he jumped towards where the torches were and grabbed a stick sitting in one of the nearby pots, lighting it ablaze. It wasn't much of a weapon, but he hoped the threat of fire would work better against this thing than it did against the keese.

Link threw the torch at the beast, only to miss and have it fall uselessly on the ground. The beast chortled in laughter, and dashed at him. Link made a beeline towards the ladder, jumping towards it and clinging to the best of his ability as he dashed upward. Unfortunately, the monster followed close behind, snarling at him. It grabbed his angle, tugging him down. Link struggled, kicking at the beast, but not able to reach it. The creature pulled on him, climbing closer, an angry glint in its eye.

There was a brief whistling sound, and the monster let out a high-pitched screech, releasing his ankle. Link took the opportunity to scurry up the ladder, climbing onto the upper level of the room, where an all-too-welcome face awaited. Tetra grabbed his hand and pulled him up. Link's eyes dashed to the other end of the platform, where he saw his double standing with his bow drawn. Moments later, an arrow flew across the room and pierced the monster, whom flew back into the wall and vanished in a burst of black smoke.

Tetra breathed out a sigh of relief. "That was close..."

"What was that thing?!" Link cried. "We don't have those where...when...I've never seen one before..."

"A bokoblin," The younger Link explained. "I dunno what they're still doing here, though."

"I bet it's something to do with that witch," Tetra huffed. "By the way, don't you know how to use a weapon? Even with a flimsy stick like that, you could have stood a chance against a bokoblin if you weren't such a wimpy swordsman."

Link shook his head, perplexed. "I've never used a weapon in my life," he replied. "We never needed them."

"Well, you do now. Places like this are usually crawling with monsters of some kind or another. Ugh, when did I get stuck toting around a bunch of sheltered..." Her voice trailed off.

Link was hardly even bothered by Tetra's remarks; he was just happy to see her and his doppelganger again. Though he had to admit to some surprise; for two that looked so young, they certainly seemed capable of handling themselves. He even felt a little embarrassed; here he was, with at least a few years on them, and he couldn't even defend himself properly with a wooden stick.

The group made their way around an outer walkway along the side of the mountain, climbing a precarious set of stone steps in the process that Link was hardly fond of, and into another lava-filled chamber. There was a door off to the side, surrounded by crumbling rocks. "Looks like there's one more room on this floor we haven't checked yet," Tetra commented.

"Then let's go!" The younger Link said, already jogging toward the door.

"Hold on there, twinkle toes," Tetra said, grabbing the boy's collar and halting him in his tracks. "That chamber isn't on the map."

The boy paused. "It's not?"

"Nope," Tetra replied, holding up the scrap of parchment she'd tucked away into her belt and pointing. "See this room here? This is where we are. There's no door leading in that direction. Plus, look at it." She pointed to the door, which displayed no stone carving whatsoever, unlike the previous doors which had draconic circular design engraved on them. "If that doesn't look suspicious, I don't know what does."

"It could still be worth checking!" The younger Link insisted.

"Or it could be a trap. You ever think about that?"

Link gave the door a wary look. Tetra had a point; it could very well be a trap. Cautiously he approached the door, careful not to take his eyes off of it in case it changed. "He's got a point," he said. "It might be worth checking. There could be a clue past it."

Before any more of a debate could be made, the door flung itself open, and a burst of black wind poured forth. Link barely heard the others cry out in shock, and his own voice was drowned out beneath the treacherous gale. A high-pitched screech resounded, and Link felt something grab him and pull him into the room. He felt himself fly through the air and slam against a stone wall. His vision wavered momentarily, and when he stood, he found that he couldn't see anything else in the room except the archway that led outside. The younger Link, worry etched on his face, raced towards him, yelling something unintelligible. Link scrambled to his feet, racing for the door.

Just as Link would have reached the archway, a stone door slammed down in front of him, separating him from the others and casting the room into darkness. Link banged his fist against the door and screaming in desperation, but it was no use. He was trapped.


	6. Trap Doors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (( Hi, everyone! Sorry for the delay with this chapter; I became a little sick, and live got pretty busy. But I'm back now!
> 
> Originally this chapter was going to be a bit longer, but I decided to shorten it to get some content out a little quicker. Also, this was edited and proofread at a very early hour, so if there are any errors, please let me know and I will correct them as soon as possible. My apologies again, and thank you for reading! ))

_"Hi, it's Link. I can't answer my phone right now. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you soon! -beeeeeep-"_

Malon sighed and hung up, shoving her cell phone into her pocket. "Still no answer," she mumbled.

The courier center had shut down hours ago. It wasn't unusual to have deliveries that went overtime every so often, but Link was far past schedule that day. Even after everyone else had left, Fado and Malon stayed behind to try and get a hold of Link. Unfortunately for them, five attempts still yielded them no answer. Malon had left two messages already, but not a single call had been returned, and the storm was only strengthening.

"Odd," Fado commented, leaning back against the door and crossing his arms. "Link should have picked up by now. It's been hours."

"I know," Malon said, staring at her phone with worry. "Do you think something happened to him...?"

Fado shrugged. "I doubt it. Link has a pretty good sense for staying out of stuff he doesn't need to be getting into."

Although Fado's words were meant to be encouraging, Malon couldn't help but feel that something was horribly amiss. "You said you didn't get the name of the person that sent in the order?"

"Right," Fado replied.

"And they wanted him to go all the way to Castle Town neighborhood? From Sheikah Manor?"

"Yep."

"Didn't that call seem the least bit suspicious to you?"

"Only now that you mention it." Fado furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "I mean, it didn't seem that bad at the time. They were offering way extra for all the trouble, even on top of the normal rate. Polite and precise like any other customer we had. But the lady didn't leave her name, and she didn't sound like any of the regulars." He shrugged. "It shouldn't have been that bad, though. Link's a smart kid."

"If it were some kind of trap, he would have come back by now and told us," Malon agreed. "Either this delivery is taking a lot longer than we anticipated, or something else is going on here."

Fado nodded. "I hate to say it, Malon, but I think you're right. Link could be in big trouble. Question is, what do we do?"

"I'll heading to Sheikah Manor," Malon replied, hefting her backpack onto her back and pushing open the door. "I'll see if I can find anything there. If I don't call you back in fifteen minutes, call the police, alright?"

Fado nodded. "Alright. Be careful out there, okay?"

Malon gave a thoughtful nod. "Always am!" With that, she buckled her helmet, swung her leg over her bike, and took off down the road.

Unknown to Malon, someone nearby was closely watching and following her every move.

* * *

The stone door was thick, and no matter how many times Link banged his fist against it or attempted to lift it up, it refused to budge. He could barely make out the voice of Tetra shouting something frantically from the other side, but other than that Link had only silence as a companion. He clenched his fists. Was this how everything was going to end? Was he going to die here? Link inwardly began scolding himself. He should have listened to Tetra. He should never have gone close to this door...

The room trembled, and Link heard several small rocks fall from the ceiling. His eyes finally adjusted to the darkness of the room, and he was able to make out the gist of his surroundings. There was virtually nothing in the chamber that he could see right away, save for an old, unlit torch. Link made his way carefully towards it, picking up two of the rocks that had fallen and hoping that there was still enough fuel left to burn. As he felt his way around it, however, there was nothing set within it to be lit aflame. With no light source and no visible escape, Link sighed, dropping the rocks and sitting on the floor in defeat. He'd have to figure out some other way to find his way around.

_"Link..."_

The moment the sound reached his ears, he nearly jumped. The voice rang out from everywhere and nowhere at once. It was faint and weak, as though it were struggling to make a sound at all. He turned around towards the door, in hopes of finding the voice. Instead, he found nothing. 

_"Link..."_

"Who's there?" Link called, his own voice echoing off the stone walls.

_"Find the Hero of Winds...and awaken..."_

"Awaken?" Link asked. "What do you mean?"

There was no answer. Link called out to the voice again, only to receive his own echo in reply. He couldn't hear anyone else, much less see anyone (or any _thing_ ). Asking for answers was useless.

He reigned in his thoughts. This was no time to let his emotions get the better of him. He needed to focus. Find the Hero of Winds, the voice had said. A task like that was infinitely easier said than done. How was he supposed to accomplish that, stuck here in this room? What was doing it supposed to accomplish? Would it help him get back home? More importantly, would it help him find that Triforce thing that Zelda was trying to find? As far as heroes went, there was already a lead with Tetra and the other Link, so at least he wasn't entirely lost. Now all that was left was to find some more refined answers. First things first, though: he needed to get out of here. He could worry about finding some legendary hero once he was no longer trapped.

Link's train of thought was brought to a screeching halt as a red light pulsed in the center of the chamber. A dark orb formed, a gleaming yellow eye appearing within it and staring him down. Link pressed himself against the wall, unable to tear his gaze away, fear gripping his heart. A cloud spread from the dark orb, and a familiar voice cackled. "So, the little delivery boy yet lives, hmm?"

Link's eyes widened.  _The One-Eyed Witch!_

"So you fell into my little trap. How disappointing. I was hoping to catch that little sea brat, but she has a nasty habit of slipping through people's fingers. It would be impressive if it weren't so irritating."

"Sea brat?" Link echoed. Moments later, the dots connected, and his eyes widened in realization. "You mean Tetra?!"

The witch snarled. "Who else, you fool?" she spat. "If anyone has the answers I want, it's your precious founding _Queen_. But like I said, she's a tricky little girl, and I doubt she'd be quite as willing to cooperate. Not that it really matters anymore..."

Something about the way the witch spoke made Link's stomach sink in dread.

"Ah, but enough of that. I have business to attend to, and you seem awfully lonely in there. Perhaps I should send you over some company? Eheheheh!"

The dark orb shuddered and grew, shifting into the form of one of the blue-skinned monsters that had attacked him before. The monster snarled, brandishing a long wooden club in its hand. It wasn't a machete this time at least, but Link wasn't too keen on being beaten to death with a club, either. With nowhere to run, he was left with only two choices: fight back somehow, or be killed.

With a garbled cry, the creature lunged forward. Link dove to the side, the monster's club swiping thin air. With a growl of annoyance, the beast spun on the spot, offering Link a glare before advancing again. Link felt his legs lock up, fear rooting him to the ground. It was only when the creature brandished its club again that he felt the strength to move again, and he dove to the side.

The sound of wood slamming onto stone echoed violently, and out of the corner of his eye Link saw the club go flying across the chamber. The beast yelped, stumbling back from the cavern wall and gazing about wildly. When it laid its eyes on the club, it cried out, racing for it. Without thinking, Link scrambled to his feet, charging across the room towards the club, snatching it up in one hand and gripping it firmly before the monster could grab it. Without stopping, he swung in front of him, hearing the wood connect with the creature's body and smacking it aside.

A brief image flashed before his eyes. Of torrential downpours of rain and water. Of a sword, a tall man cloaked in darkness. Of an angry, greedy glare boring into his soul. Of a feeling foreign to him coursing through his veins, pulsing with a life of its own, foreign yet familiar. Of a burst of energy and  _hope_ that urged him onward.

Just as soon as the image had appeared, it faded, leaving Link disoriented. The beast's warbled growling shook him out of his stupor, and he lifted the club just in time to block an attempted strike at his face. The monster was almost admirably persistent; with no weapon, it had resorted to throwing punches. It sent another fist flying towards Link, which he ducked beneath before swinging the giant club again, this time striking the side of the monster's skull. Without waiting for it to react, he struck again, this time hitting the beast's ribcage and sending it skidding across the stone ground. The creature screamed in anguish, crumbling to the ground and bursting into black smoke, evaporating from sight.

Link stared at the spot that the monster had fallen, afraid to move. Then, he let out a breath he'd barely known he was holding, and his entire body relaxed from its previously tense state. Although he was alive, he hoped he wouldn't need to do that again too terribly soon. 

Before he could settle from the fight, the room began to tremble, and the orb returned, pulsing with violent red energy. The walls began to groan, veins of sharp crimson appearing on them, widening and splintering across the stone. The stone door nearby cracked, light filtering through and illuminating the chamber. Link briefly shielded his eyes as they adjusted to the sudden shift, and could make out a small hole in the wall. The door trembled and lifted, but only partially. Through the opening, Link could see his double and Tetra waiting for him.

"This way!" Tetra's voice called out. "Hurry!"

Link didn't need to be told twice. He dashed for the opening in the door, the energy roaring behind him and threatening to singe his flesh. He dove through the opening, sliding on the ground as he landed, his skin scraped by the stone and sharp pebbles. The moment he was fully across the threshold, the door gave one last tremble and loudly slammed shut, kicking up a cloud of dust. The cracks spread across the stone, and the door blackened to pitch before it crumbled to the ground and evaporated into nothingness.

"How many times are we going to have to save your life today?" Tetra groaned, not bothering to help Link stand. "First you nearly drown, then you walk right into a bokoblin ambush, and now _this_. If you fall into that lava pit, I'm not fishing you out, got it?"

"Did you find anything?" The younger Link asked, ignoring Tetra's fuming.

Link nodded. "Yeah. That door was a trap set up by the witch."

"So she really _is_ behind this whole mess with Komali and Valoo disappearing," Tetra mused aloud, eyes narrowing, "Doesn't explain why she'd want _you_ , though."

Link shook his head. "The door wasn't meant for _me_ , Tetra," he replied. "She was trying to trap  _you._ "

Tetra's irate expression quickly shifted to one of unpleasant surprise. The expression quickly faded, however, replaced by her usual stern frown. "Well, it's a good thing it didn't work. I'm not in the mood to be caught in any traps today."

The younger Link tilted his head, gazing at Link with an unspoken concern. He looked ready to speak, but Tetra interrupted, walking sternly past him. "Come on, you two. We need to keep looking for Komali. And if either of you see any more blank doors, do us all a favor and don't go anywhere near them."

As the search continued, little was found of interest, and the chambers all began to look the same. Lava pools, rope bridges, and old pots became a common sight. Though the group spent it in relative silence - aside from a few snide comments from Tetra - Link's mind was still going full force from earlier. The vision he'd seen, the voice he'd heard. Find the Hero of Winds. That, he could  _probably_ do. After all, Tetra clearly knew something. But what did the voice mean by 'awaken'? For that matter, who _was_ the voice? It felt familiar, somehow, as though he'd heard it before. Was it Zelda? Was it the witch, trying to trick him?

"You've been awfully quiet, you know."

Link snapped to attention, only to find that Tetra wasn't speaking to him, but his doppelganger. The younger Link glanced at her curiously. "I have?"

Tetra lifted an eyebrow. "Quieter than usual, at least. You've been acting weird ever since we found Castaway here. There something you're neglecting to tell us?"

The younger Link shook his head. "No!"

"You're a bad liar, Link."

"It's not like it matters now, anyway! We already know something weird's going on, and--"

"You mean you  _knew_ something was up and you  _never told anyone?!"_

Link winced; he wasn't sure if Tetra was furious or surprised. It seemed to be a bit of both. Her green-clad victim seemed rather indignant, but also taken aback by Tetra's anger. "I wasn't really sure at first!" he protested. "I thought it was just me! I only really knew for sure that something was up when we found him instead of the treasure!"

Tetra folded her arms. By now, the group had ceased walking. "So _that's_ why you were so insistent that we keep him on board," she replied. "I thought it was just because he looked like you."

The boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, I wouldn't have wanted  _anyone_ to drown out there. Besides, it's not like I knew about this whole witch thing! I just had a feeling, that's all!"

"Whatever," Tetra growled. "We can sort you out later. Right now, we need to find Komali and Valoo before things get worse. Anyone got any bright ideas? We've searched this place high and low."

"There's still that one room no one could get into," Link pointed out. "It's the only place left."

Tetra cast a glance over her shoulder to a door across a small stream of lava. "You mean that one?" she said. "That chamber's usually empty, isn't it?"

"So was the rest of this place," The younger Link pointed out. "We should at least check it and see."

"Another  _feeling_ of yours?" Tetra grumbled. The younger Link winced.

The door in question was enormous, set atop a flight of stairs adorned with several clay pots. It was marked similarly to the other doors in the cavern, but the fact alone that it was about four times the size of the other doors was certainly worth noting. Link felt something nagging at the back of his mind; an uneasiness was scratching at the edge of his consciousness.

_"Find the Hero of Winds..."_

Link rubbed his head. The voice again. It was still weak, still urgent, still familiar. But this time, it seemed a little more desperate than before. He needed to hurry; the moment he had a chance, he needed to ask them where to find the Hero of Winds.  _What am I supposed to do when I find him, though? Am I supposed to just figure that out when I get there?_

Tetra gave him an odd look. "What are you talking about?"

After a dazed moment, Link realized he had been speaking out loud. "Er...nothing."

His response was met with a suspicious glare.

"I mean...I'll tell you later, alright?"

"Fine," Tetra replied dismissively. "Let's go check out that door and get this over with."

The group took turns swinging across the stream of lava with the stretch of rope the younger Link carried with him. There had been a bar hanging over the lava, which he had tossed the metal, clawed end of the rope at, wrapping around it and giving them a rope to swing across with. He and Tetra had little trouble, though Link took a little coaxing. Once across, the group approached the door, and attempted to lift it open. As expected, it wouldn't budge.

"It's sealed off, just like the others said." Tetra folded her arms, leaning against the wall. "What now?"

The younger Link tilted his head. "There's no keyhole anymore, and no chains. I dunno why it isn't opening."

Link stared long and hard at the door. There really was nothing unusual about it aside from being a lot bigger. Nothing should have been keeping it closed aside from its weight, and even that didn't seem possible; one of them alone could open the other doors without any problem, but all three of them combined couldn't even get this one to budge. He leaned against the door, bracing himself with one arm. "Is there some other way into this chamber?" he asked.

"Not that I know of," the younger Link replied.

So unless they found some way to open that door, there was no way they were getting in. Link sighed. No key, no alternate entrance, no switch to hunt down... What was keeping them from getting that door open? Was this the witch's doing, too? Or was something else at work?

No sooner than he had thought about it did Link feel his fingertips tingling where they met the door. The feeling quickly escalated into a mild shock, and he yelped, jumping away from the door. Tetra yelled something crass at him in surprise, but he ignored it, instead grasping his hand. It hadn't hurt, but whatever happened to him had certainly been a surprise. There was nothing on his hand, nothing on the door... Just what had happened? Carefully, he reached out to the door again, placing his hand on it.

At first, nothing happened. Then, he caught a brief flash of light from his choker, and the sensation in his hand returned full-force, this time knocking him back. An image blinded him once more, this time of an enormous bird, its face shrouded by a huge stone mask. A small figure standing before it, sword at the ready. Beyond the bird, a shadowy figure, lurking. Just as quickly as it had appeared, however, the image vanished. Link tumbled to the ground, catching himself just before the stairs began, and stared at the door as though it had attacked him.

"Are you okay?" The younger link cried, racing to his side.

Link didn't answer right away, instead taking a few startled breaths before nodding. "I think so..."

Before anyone could speak further, the door in front of them shuddered, and slowly lifted. Pebbles and bits of dust fell as the door struggled to rise, though it eventually completed its course, leaving the path open. Beyond was a dark, featureless chamber, from which an ominous air seemed to creep out of. Link passed a glance to his double, whom was eyeing the chamber warily.

Tetra, meanwhile, was downright stunned. "What did you _do?!"_ she demanded.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Link replied, still shocked at the turn of events himself. The tingling in his hand was subtle and slowly fading, but still there. He flexed his fingers a few times experimentally, but nothing felt out of place. He carefully pushed himself to his feet, brushing off his pants and tugging absently at one of his sleeves.

"Well, at least the door's open now." Tetra walked forward. "Come on. The sooner we get this room checked out, the better."

Link headed forward, but not before casting a worried glance down at his look-alike, whom seemed all too eager to stay far away from the chamber but was walking forward anyway. Beyond the door was an enormous, largely empty chamber. The center of the room dipped downward a little, covered in dark stone unlike the lighter stone walkway surrounding it. There were wooden platforms lining the walls, but other than that, the chamber seemed empty. The air was stale and old, with a faint the scent of dust and smoke.

The eerie breeze brushed past Link, and he glanced around, trying to find the source of the draft. How could there be any wind in here? It was sealed off, and it couldn't have come from the door. He was interrupted by the younger Link crying out and pointing at the ceiling. "Look! Up there!"

There was a large hole in the roof of the chamber, and right below it a cloud of darkness, within which settled a pulsing black orb. No sooner than Link had pointed it out, the door behind them slammed shut with a resounding crash. The dark cloud pulsed, whirred, and then burst downward, vanishing beneath the ground. The darkened stone in the center of the room cracked and splintered, the heat from the boiling lava beneath it rising up. The group scrambled backward onto the safer pathway just before the rest of the hardened stone sank away. The witch's familiar cackle that resounded about the chamber, quickly mutating into monstrous shrieks that sent chills up Link's spine.

The lava seemed to rise, and Link was terrified that the volcano was about to erupt. What emerged was worse: an enormous, insectoid monster, its body just as dark as the cloud that had hovered near the roof moments before. The lava slid off of the creature's armor, and it screeched again, slamming a set of enormous, crab-like claws into the ground that Link and the others stood on. It glared at them with a single eye, hissing threateningly and waving a set of pincers threateningly. Set deep in its chest was the orb from before, even darker than before and pulsing wildly.

"What in Din's name is that thing?!" Tetra cried.

"It looks like the monster I fought last time I came here!" The younger Link cried. "But I thought it was dead!"

"Well, it isn't anymore!"

The gargantuan monster hissed again, this time a heated light forming in its gaping maw. The other Link screamed something and the group raced out of the way, just barely avoiding being scorched by flame. Link's heart was racing, his mind running at full speed. The door was closed, and there was no way he could get it open in time for them to escape. A monster that big, and armored at that, would barely flinch against a wooden club, let alone a proper sword. If they didn't figure out something, and fast, they were as good as dead.


	7. The Hero of Winds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been ages since I've written this. Looking back on the previous chapters, my writing has been REALLY weak. As tempting as it is to go back and revise previous chapters, however, I've resolved not to do so until this entire fic is complete. If I go back and revise, I'll just get stuck in a loop and never finish this. This thing is supposed to be helping me patch up my writing skills anyway. So, I apologize if this has seemed a bit boring and poorly-done so far; I'm doing my best to improve my writing skills.
> 
> Well, without further ado... Next chapter! (Happy New Year, by the way!)

If they weren't in immediate danger, Link would have found it impressive that a boy that size could defeat such a gargantuan monster. It was still impressive in this setting, but he was more focused on the thing not slicing him in half with its knife-like pincers. He dove to the side just as the creature slammed one of them into the wall right where he'd been standing, hissing in protest when it noticed it had missed its mark. If Link had known that signing up for an after-school courier job would end in him fighting for his life against enormous monsters right out of some weird fairy tale, he would have looked for different work.

"How did you beat her last time?!" Tetra cried.

"I swung across the lava using Valoo's tail--"

"That's not going to do us any good! Valoo isn't here!"

The would-be argument was broken instantly as the creature reared back one of its claws. The group dove to the side, narrowly avoiding being smashed by the monster's claw. Link's wooden club fell to the ground, forgotten as he fled the scene of impact. He doubted the thing would be of much use against a monster like this, especially considering how thick its armor was. The other Link's sword was far more capable of making a dent, but against armor like that, a dent would be all he was capable of making.

Images flashed in his mind. A hooked tail descending from the ceiling, twitching in protest. An enormous sheet of rock plummeting and smashing onto the gigantic creature. The armor splintering and cracking and exploding into pieces. The creature screeching in angry protest. The vision vanished as quickly as it had come, and he found his eyes locked onto the ceiling. There was a hole in it, right in the center. Perhaps where Valoo's tail had been, when he was here before.

_"Quit standing around and act already!"_

Link gasped, the sudden burst of words in his mind shaking him from his focus. "Wha...who-"

_"No time to explain! Just hurry up!"_

"Hurry up and do what?!"

_"Clueless... Should've known you'd be. Look, I'll do it this time, but next time it's up to you, so take some notes, will you?"_

It happened in an instant. A burst of energy swelled up within him, centered around the choker fastened around his neck. It snaked down his left arm in loosely woven lines of light and forced its way to his hand. His veins felt like they had been lit ablaze, yet his skin felt cold as ice. Link trembled in shock, grasping his arm in hopes of steadying it, only to find that some invisible force jerked it upward. A turquoise light formed at his hand, forming a tight sphere of energy that hovered on his palm before tearing through the air and slamming into the roof. The orb flickered for a moment, then burst open. The roof changed, and an enormous hooked tail appeared from the ceiling, waving slowly back and forth.

"What was that?!" Tetra demanded.

Link stared at his hand. "I don't know," he replied. The light was gone, and no trace of whatever he'd just done remained.

The other Link wasted no time in whipping out the grappling hook, hurling it into the air and latching it onto the tail that had appeared. "Get against the wall!" He yelled before jumping into the air.

The giant beast watched the green-clad boy hungrily as he swung across, its attention torn away from Link and Tetra. The moment the younger Link landed on one of the platforms on the side of the room, The stone on the ceiling destabilized and fell, crashing into the monster and eliciting a loud cracking noise as its armor splintered. It stayed motionless, stunned for only a split second before it roared in anger and leapt into the air, shoving the stone back against the ceiling. As the beast crashed down into the lava again, the odd light on Link's arm shattered and vanished, and Valoo's tail vanished with it.

"Whatever you just did, you better hurry up and do it again!" Tetra cried before racing around the side of the room, away from the monster's gaze.

_"Your turn, Link! Hurry!"_

"Who are you?!" Link demanded, his eyes darting about the chamber in search of the voice's source.

 _"I told you, there's no time! You can ask me questions when you're_ not _about to get smashed by that thing!"_

It was good enough for him. Link watched as the monster's attention was shifted to the other Link. It hissed, slamming both of its claws into the ground surrounding the lava and hissing threateningly. Link aimed his hand at the ceiling, in hopes that the power that came before would come again, but nothing happened. "Come on, come on!" Link muttered, his hand still aimed at the ceiling. "Do something! I need that tail to show up again!"

But there was still nothing. Tetra and the other Link's frantic screams could be heard from the other end of the chamber. He could see the light from the monster's firey maw growing. He was running out of time. He had to summon that power again  _now_ , before that thing could spew fire again. He focused on the ceiling, the image of the hooked tail in his mind.  _Come on, come on! Please work!_

The feeling from before pulsed again, rising within him. His left hand tingled momentarily, the light snaking down his arm once again. It felt more natural this time. Eerie, but still natural. Time seemed to slow down as the light formed in his hand, and the longer he left it, the more power he felt build within. Before the power grew too great, he released the sphere - he wasn't sure how; had he willed it? Had some part of his mind commanded it to move on instinct? - and it flew through the air and burst against the ceiling again. Once more, the hooked tail appeared.

_"Atta boy! I knew you could do it!"_

A fraction of a second later, Link could see the familiar grappling hook soar through the air and latch onto the tail. Both his double and Tetra were hanging from the rope as it swing across the room, and they landed safely on the other side, jerking the grappling hook off of the tail just in time for it to flail about and cause the slab of stone to smash against the creature once more. The monster hissed and froze, its armor splintering once again. But this time, instead of throwing the slap back into the ceiling, the creature remained motionless as the armor protecting its body crumbled and fell away, revealing a pitch-black body beneath.

The chamber fell deathly silent. The three explorers stared at the monster that had frozen in place, and the lava cooled rapidly into hardened stone.

"What now?" Link asked. "Did we kill it?"

Sevreal long moments passed, and Gohma remained motionless. Not a single limb twitched, and its eye remained motionless. Link let out a breath of relief as a minor feeling of triumph washed over him. Tetra even threw a fist in the air. "Yes! We beat it--"

"Wait!" The young Link cried. "Something's not right!"

Gohma screeched in fury, its cry echoing about the chamber. The air in the chamber pulsed and roared, suddenly bursting outward with an unnatural current. The platforms on the side of the chamber exploded into wooden shards, the pots sitting around were picked up in the wind and tossed around haphazardly. In the midst of the wind, Gohma threw the sheet of rock into the air. It slammed against the roof and shattered to pieces, boulders raining down on the chamber. While most landed in where the lava once was, several fell on the walkway, leading the group to dodge haphazardly to avoid being crushed.

Link dove behind one of the boulders that had fallen, pulling Tetra with him as his double followed suit. The wind began to darken somehow, with threads of darkness flowing with it as it swirled around the chamber. Pebbles, wooden splinters, and bits of shattered pottery flew about the room, missing them thanks to their shield but causing surprising damage to the cave walls. Link winced as a still-intact pot flew past his cheek and smashed into the wall.

"We've gotta stop that wind!" Tetra shouted. "We aren't going to be safe behind this thing!"

The boulder shielded them from the wind, but the entire chamber was trembling and groaning ominously from the gale. Tetra was right. They were mildly safe for now, but that wasn't going to last. They needed to figure something out, and fast. "But there's no way we can do _anything_ from behind here!" he said. "Unless we wanna be thrown around like rag dolls, we're trapped!"

The younger Link began frantically searching through his pouch. "Not for long!" He cried.

Link cast the boy a wide-eyed stare. "Are you nuts?! There's no way we can stop this wind without walking right into it!"

"Maybe you can't," the boy replied, his eyes narrowed in unparalleled determination, "But I can!"

The implications of the words spoken sunk in and Link felt his breath catch in his throat. The boy couldn't possibly have some sort of plan, could he? Or was he so confident that he was throwing himself into danger without anything to protect himself? Was he planning on shooting the thing? Even leaning out to aim a bow was too hazardous!

As the black wind howled even louder, Tetra and Link pressed themselves behind the boulder as the younger Link rummaged through the pouch. Eventually he pulled out a small white dagger...no, it was far too thin to be a dagger. Too thin and too delicate. The boy held it gently in his left hand, staring at it for a good ten seconds before closing his eyes and lifting the baton into the air. A single, brief tone rang out, echoing in the chamber. For a moment, although its force did not relent, the howling of the gale seemed to fade, leaving only a ghostly voice.

Slowly, even elegantly, the boy waved the baton around, as though conducting a choir, or perhaps an orchestra. The echoing, disembodied tone seemed to follow its lead, a song gently weaving its way into the air, quieting the angry and threatening howls of the black wind. There was an alien feeling to it, yet at the same time it felt familiar. The notes echoed, disregarding the wind's howling. Something in them resonated with Link's heart and calmed him, even reassured him. As the song faded, the furious wind slowed to a breeze, and eventually became still entirely, the ashes and debris that had been kicked up gently fluttering to the ground.

Link could scarcely breathe, let alone believe what he was experiencing. How this boy so calmly and effortlessly quelled the gale's anger, softening it until it stopped altogether. How he commanded it to be still, and it obeyed. This boy...the boy who shared his face and his name...was the Hero of Winds.

Tetra grinned. "Good ol' Wind Waker," She commented, her voice unusually calm. "I thought you left it back on the ship."

Gohma screamed in protest. The group looked up and ran out of the way just in time for the enormous beast to smash the boulder with one of her claws. Somehow, without its armor, it looked even more imposing, its eye gleaming greedily at them, black mist rising from its body like steam. It raised its claw again, this time slamming it into the stone near them far faster than it had before. The younger Link, however, was prepared for it, leaping aside to dodge the strike. Before Gohma could withdraw, however, he leaped onto it, dashing up her arm. Gohma hissed in protest, but when she tried to shake him off, Link jumped into the air with an enraged cry, brandishing his sword and burying it in her eye. 

Gohma didn't even screech on impact. Its entire body froze, and then exploded into fragments of darkness. The fading darkness revealed a crackling red orb, which hung momentarily in the air before shattering into pieces. As the crystal dissolved, the room warped and shifted, a near-invisible wave of light passing over it. As the wave passed, a hooked tail appeared from the ceiling of the chamber, gradually fading into existence.

"Is it over...?" Link asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tetra nodded. "I think so."

Before they had the chance to celebrate, the room shifted. Everything rapidly darkened, and the chamber around Link vanished. Even the dull echo of the chamber seemed to fade away, and the air became thin and cold. He found himself standing in a dark void, a calm breeze blowing about. Whispers echoed around him, and the feeling that pulsed in him before rose again. As the breeze flew past his face, the whispers grew louder.

Link quickly realized that he was not alone. The other Link - the Hero of Winds - had appeared directly in front of him. The boy was incredibly calm, staring at him with innocent, curious eyes. Between both of them appeared a small orb, barely the size of Link's palm, pulsing with a weak light. Link felt entranced by it, and had to restrain himself from reaching for it. Instead, he glanced back up to the Hero of Winds, offering him a questioning look. _He_ was certainly startled by the change in scenery, so why wasn't this kid the least bit alarmed?

The Hero of Winds did not offer any reply. Instead, he grinned cheerfully, pulling out the Wind Waker. He closed his eyes, held the baton high, and waved it elegantly, a trail of glistening sparks following its every move. The wind danced around them and sang joyfully. A feeling of hope and happiness swelled, and the air filled with a welcome warmth and crispness. Like the song on the ship, it felt strange yet familiar, the ghostly tones, piquing his curiosity but somehow calming him.

The song soon faded, and the Hero of Winds ceased his conducting, the Wind Waker still held high, his eyes still closed. Then, bit by bit, he vanished into a shower of light, carried by the very wind he had conducted. The trail of light circled Link before plunging into the small orb of light in the center of the void. It flickered weakly, and for a moment, Link feared it would vanish. Just as it would have faded entirely, however, the light shone back into existence, notably stronger than before.

The orb floated gently over to Link. He cupped his hands, allowing the orb to settle in them, and he stared at it with wonder in his eyes. The light felt warm and familiar somehow, like he was meant to hold it. The void began to vanish, the whispers and the gentle breeze with it, and Link found himself standing inside Dragon Roost Cavern once again. The orb of light was gone, but somehow the feeling of its presence remained.

After a few moments of stupor, Link felt something tapping his arm. He glanced down to see the young hero gave him a strange look. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Link stared for a few moments. He hadn't seen anything, had he? Was that all just some image in his mind? He rubbed his eyes, hoping to clear them, and gave his younger counterpart a curious look. "You're the Hero of Winds...?" he mumbled.

The boy paused, his eyes widening a little, then nodded.

Of course. "Why didn't you tell me before?!"

"We were a little busy saving your hide three times over," Tetra said, interrupting the young Hero before he had a chance to speak and earning an annoyed glance in kind. "Besides, Link's a little modest when it comes to that whole thing so he doesn't talk about it much." Another look. "What? It's true."

"So  _you_  defeated the Dark One?" Link asked, ignoring Tetra's remarks. "You cast him to the bottom of the sea and saved everyone?"

The Hero of Winds rubbed the back of his left hand and glanced to the side warily. "Something like that..."

Tetra folded her arms. "As much as I'd love to stand around telling stories, we're not exactly done here. We've got a missing Rito to find."

Link nodded. He wasn't very happy with that decision, but she was right. They defeated the monster, but Komali was still missing. "He's not in this chamber. Is there anywhere else we haven't checked?"

"We should probably double-check some areas," Tetra said. "Judging from how Valoo came back, even after we checked the summit..."

"Then let's go there first," the other Link said, already bounding for the door. Link and Tetra followed on his heels.

* * *

 

The climb to the summit was a bit steeper than Link would have liked, but luckily Tetra and the Hero of Winds were happy to help him along. After the initial, brief climb, getting to the top was a matter of swinging from pole to pole with the grappling hook, something that Link quickly became accustomed to. When they finally reached the top, Link was greeted with the sight of an enormous red dragon staring them down. He was almost too afraid to approach it, but when the young Hero walked forward so readily, he decided that it couldn't be that bad and followed closely, albeit cautiously.

Standing beneath Valoo was a creature not unlike Medli, albeit with white hair, darker skin, and a different set of robes. He seemed distressed and confused, but his eyes lit up with excitement and relief at the sight of the younger Link. "Link!" He cried. "What are you doing here?!" He blinked. "Why are there two of you?"

"Long story," Tetra said, jabbing her thumb at Link calmly. "We'll explain later."

"The others said you never came back," the young hero said. "So we came looking for you."

Komali blinked. "Never came back? But I only just got up here."

"Just now?" Tetra said, her face riddled with doubt. "We've been looking for you for _ages_. What _happened_ up here?!"

Komali shook his head. "I don't really remember. I lost track of that eye, so I went to the summit to see if I could find any clues. But then there was this dark cloud and everything got really dark. Next thing I knew, everything was bright again and you guys showed up a few seconds ago."

"So you're telling me you were only trapped for a few seconds?" Tetra replied, quirking an eyebrow suspiciously. "We looked all over Dragon Roost Cavern for you, and it took a _lot_ longer than that."

Something about it seemed pretty fishy, there was no denying it. Link stared at his left hand for a moment, remembering the strange light that had been summoned in his palm. There had to be some kind of connection between whatever power he managed to summon earlier and whatever power had caused Valoo and Komali to vanish. After all, the witch managed to make Valoo disappear, but he managed to reverse that, at least partially. There was some piece to the puzzle missing here; if he could just find it...

The sound of flapping wings caught everyone's attention. Rising from the side of the mountain was the familiar form of Medli, her arms having shifted into a pale set of wings. A wide smile spread across Medli's face as she spotted the other Rito standing nearby, and she immediately flew forward. "Komali! You're safe!"

Tetra folded her arms and leaned against the stone wall nearby. "Mission accomplished," she commented, smiling. "Everyone's back safe and sound."

Link couldn't help but smile a bit himself. Medli and Komali had each other in a tight, enthusiastic hug before chatting eagerly with one another. Valoo was watching them all closely, and Link could have sworn that the dragon had a grin on his face. After a few moments, however, it locked eyes with him, and he felt a little uneasy. When he'd heard about a powerful sky spirit, he hadn't been expecting a dragon. It certainly didn't help that Valoo responded to his anxiety by growling at him, although it was less of a growl and more of a set of words garbled in a soft roar.

Of everyone that gave Valoo a startled look, Medli seemed the least worried. After a moment, she smiled and looked back over at Link. "Valoo says you don't need to be afraid of him."

"I--what?" It took Link a moment to process this new information, although when he looked back up at Valoo, the calmness of the dragon's demeanor became apparent. How did she...? "You can understand him?"

Medli beamed. "It's one of my duties as Valoo's attendant!"

"Uh-huh..." It didn't change the fact that the dragon was fairly intimidating, but he relaxed a little with the knowledge that it meant no harm.

"So Link," Tetra said, "Now that everyone's safe and sound, you wanna start explaining yourself to your long lost twin here?"

The boy shifted uneasily, then nodded and began. The story was clearly a lengthy one, but luckily Link was keen on keeping it short.

The gist of the legend was the same as what Link already knew, but there were key differences. The Dark One's plot stretched much farther than just kidnapping innocent children, just as Tetra had said. The curse placed on the Great Sea wasn't some vague spell, but more of a series of dangerous events that plagued the region as a whole. The mysterious blade was the Master Sword, and its protective light was its power to repel evil. The kingdom beneath the sea, however, was a completely new concept to him. He'd never heard of Ancient Hyrule, or at least he didn't know about it until just then. From the sounds of things, Tetra and the other Link didn't know a whole lot about it, either. The Triforce seemed to be a mystery to them as well, but they seemed to know a little about it. Something about it granting any wish by just touching it.

"So where's the Triforce of Courage now?" Link asked.

Tetra shrugged. "Who knows?" She said. "After the King made his wish on it, the entire Triforce just up and vanished."

Link let out a defeated sigh. If the ancient force that he needed really was the Triforce, then at least he was on the right track, but it wasn't going to do him much good if it had already long since vanished. "How am I supposed to protect everyone from the one-eyed witch if I can't even find the force I'm supposed to use?" He asked.

Valoo spoke once again, this time much more fervently. Medli's attention quickly shifted from the discussion at hand back to the dragon. She listened intently, nodding in understanding, and turned back to them. "Valoo says to return to where time splits."

"Where time splits?" Link echoed. What was that supposed to mean?

"I'm just as confused as you are," Medli replied. "He also mentioned some kind of warning."

Something about the way Medli said it made Link's stomach sink. He'd already had enough danger and near-death for one day. What else did he need to be warned about?

Valoo growled calmly, his eyes locked onto the castaway. Medli laced her fingers together, her translation woven between the dragon's garbled words. "Your arrival here is not without meaning. The past holds the keys to the future. Seek out these keys, awaken what has slumbered for far too long, and undo what has been done. Time will show you the way."

"Time will show the way," Link echoed. "What does he mean?"

Medli shook her head. "I don't know."

A lost force, and now riddles. Even with the danger behind him, Link's troubles didn't seem to end.

_"At least you're on the right track."_

Link nearly jumped several feet in the air. The voice from before had returned, this time clearer than before. "Wh-"

_"Not out loud! Can't have everyone thinking you're crazy, right? Look, I'll tell you later, promise. Just keep quiet for now, alright? There's a reason I haven't shown myself yet."_

"Are you feeling okay?" Tetra asked, giving Link a baffled look.

The others were giving him strange looks as well. Link felt his cheeks flush red in embarrassment and he shrank back a little, rubbing his head sheepishly. He briefly considered mentioning the voice, but it had a point. Besides, it technically helped him survive the fight with Gohma earlier, so he didn't have a reason to distrust it. "...yeah," Link replied. "I'm fine."

_"You're an awful liar. Why am I not surprised?"_

Link's face twisted into a frown of disapproval and he glared at the wall, for lack of any better place to look. Tetra was still giving him an odd stare, but he ignored it.

"We'd better get back to the others," Medli said. "Everyone's been worried about Komali."

"And we've been up here for way too long," Tetra agreed. "Let's get going."

The group headed down the moutain, with Komali and Medli in the lead. Valoo remained at his perch, staring intently at his visitors as they left. Link followed quietly along, turning Valoo's words over in his mind.  _Return to where time splits. Time will show the way. But what does he mean by that...? How am I even supposed to get there?_

He didn't travel through time on his own. The witch had done something to him to banish him to this era. Link didn't have any magic. How was he supposed to travel on his own? How would he even know where - or  _when_ \- to go? How did time even split, anyway? Maybe there was some sort of mistranslation that was making this hard to follow. Either way, if this was supposed to lead him to the force that he was searching for, he needed to find the meaning behind it.

A cold feeling crawled across his skin, and for a moment Link expected another strange orb of light to appear. Instead, he saw his hand rapidly fading out of existence as a numbness rose and began taking over his limbs. The world shifted uneasily around him, and his legs froze in place. His voice caught in his throat, keeping him from shouting in panic, but the rest of the group already noticed what was going on and called out to him. Their voices were muddled by a loud whirring as the wind roared in his ears, the world gradually becoming too bright to look at. The Hero of Winds rushed toward him, reaching for him, but it was too late. The light grew too bright, the wind too loud, and numbness took him over. The sensation took him over, dragging him through a white abyss, his mind racing frantically. Link reached for any semblance of solid ground, something, anything to stop the rush of...whatever it was pulling him around.

When he finally stopped, the first thing Link saw when his vision returned to him was an enormous wall of flames.


	8. Shadow

Malon's bike screeched to a halt in front of Sheikah Manor. The place was even more intimidating up close than just passing by it on the street, and she'd barely gone through the front gate. The sun had long since set, and the stormclouds overhead made the mansion look all the more ominous. Slowly, she approached the front door, the foliage crunching threateningly underfoot. Malon wasn't very keen on approaching this place, much less confronting the owner, but there was little other choice. Whoever lived here, she needed to ask them about her friend's whereabouts. If she couldn't glean anything here, she'd have to call the police. Link wasn't one to stay out of contact for this long.

Before Malon could knock on the front door, a hand clamped around her mouth and jerked her roughly to the side while another arm bound her. Her scream muffled, Malon struggled against her attacker's grip. Her concern for Link pushed aside, her eyes locked onto her bike and she writhed, eager for the first opening to run back to it and escape.

"Hey, quit it! You wanna get us both killed?!"

That voice. She knew it anywhere. Although her heart was still racing, Malon complied and stopped struggling. After a second or two, the hands both let go of her. Immediately she stepped away and spun around, her face ridden with anger. "Groose?!"

Sure enough, Groose stood against the wall, his usual outfit covered in dirt and soot. There were a few leaves stuck in his (now messy) hair, and one of his sleeves was torn. He had an uncharacteristic look of apprehension on his face. "You here lookin' for Lefty?"

"His _name_ is _Link,_ " Malon corrected, her eyes narrowed in a furious glare. "And yes, I _am_ looking for him. He was supposed to report back to the courier center hours ago. What're _you_ doing here?"

"I followed him here after school," Groose explained. "Punk still owes me for last week. I thought I'd catch him when he was on his way out or somethin'. I kept waitin' for him to come out, but..."

Malon's anger melted away into her own anxiety. For the first time in her life, not only was she actually genuinely listening to Groose, but his less-than-friendly actions toward Link were actually proving to be useful. "...he never left?"

Groose shook his head, eyes wide. "I never saw a trace of 'im! Here's the thing, though. I heard some screamin' coming from inside, so I ran in after 'im! But the door was locked and I couldn't get in, and when I turned around, his bike was gone and everythin'!"

Just as quickly as it came, Malon's sincere interest faded. She rolled her eyes. "Nice try, Groose. You're not fooling anyone."

"It's true, I swear! This place is cursed, Malon! First it took that new girl from school, now it's got Link! If we stick around here, we're next!"

Malon rolled her eyes. "You've been watching way too many horror movies, Groose. Look, let's just call the police and--" She paused as the rest of Groose's words sunk in. "...did you say it took Zelda, too?"

"The new girl, yeah! I saw her come this way, too!"

Her breath caught in her throat and she nearly choked on a nervous gasp. So Link wasn't the only one that had vanished into this place... "Have you called the police yet?"

Groose pulled out his phone. "There's no signal here," He replied. Sure enough, the signal indicator on his phone was empty.

Malon pulled out her own cell phone. Sure enough, there was no signal. "Maybe the storm's messing with it," she said. There weren't any pay phones nearby, either, at least not as far as the residential area went. There was no way they'd be able to call the police at this rate, not unless they borrowed someone else's phone or left the area entirely. There wasn't any other choice. "Let's get out of here. You have your car nearby, right?"

"I _did_ ," Groose replied, fear evident on his face, "But it's gone."

"Gone?! What do you mean, _gone_?!"

Any reply Groose might have had was abruptly cut off by the front gate to the mansion slamming closed and the storm roaring, the wind picking up fiercely and pressing them against the wall of the mansion. The front door of the mansion swung open just as a bolt of lightning descended from the clouds and crashed into the yard, briefly blinding them. Another struck inches closer. The storm had gone from eerie to dangerous.

"We've gotta get outta here!" Groose screamed.

Malon had to agree. If they stayed out here, they could get killed. The only problem was that their only options of escape were to either risk getting struck by lightning on their way out of the manor's yard or to risk facing the horrors inside the manor while seeking shelter. As a third lightning bolt hit yet closer to them, Malon's mind was made. She raced for the door. "Get inside!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"It's better than being electrocuted! _Hurry!_ "

Groose let out an incomprehensible yell of protest as he dashed forward, lightning smashing into the spot where he once stood. The moment he and Malon dove inside the manor, the door slammed behind them, and they were met with nothing but eerie silence and utter darkness.

* * *

The sudden and drastic change in surroundings was enough to startle Link on its own, but the roaring flames and the rain of destruction around him was enough to make him panic. He was on a walkway rounding the side of a tower, and the whole place was trembling violently. Wherever the choker had taken him, he couldn't stay here. Spinning on his heels, he ran into the nearest doorway, but didn't stop running once he was through. The hallways were coming down on top of him, and he only narrowly missed being crushed by a falling boulder.

There wasn't enough time to recover as another chunk of the ceiling threatened to crush him. Link dove out of the way, landing in a large chamber full of burning debris and crumbling lanterns. Any decor it may have possibly held had already crumbled away or been buried beneath rocks, and several of the doorways were blocked by piles of shattered brick. As Link made for the nearest exit, his shin struck a rock he hadn't seen and he tumbled to the ground. With a yelp of distress, he scrambled, trying to regain his footing. If he didn't get through the exit in time, he was as good as trapped and dead.

Just as Link made it back onto his feet, He felt a burst of heat from the stone set in the choker. A pulse of blue light shot outward, enveloping the room briefly before fading. The falling rocks, the swirling dust, the dancing flames, everything in motion slowed to a halt. With them, the sounds of chaos blurred into a metallic hum that eventually became silence. The air felt sharp and placid, and something - some unfamiliar feeling of stillness and expectation - washed over him. Link didn't dare to move at first, fearing that even twitching a finger could cause everything to crash down on him. With a shaky breath, he carefully and quietly stepped forward. Nothing moved, and a wave of relief washed over him. Whatever was going on, he was safe for now.

_"I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you."_

The voice again. Link gasped quietly, gazing about wildly to find the source, but to no avail. "Where-"

_"You're not going to find me that easily, Link. Do me a favor and head over to the wall. Put your back to that lantern that's about to fall over."_

Link glanced behind him, noting a lantern to the side of the chamber that was beginning to tip over. The flames were in the midst of leaping through the air, and an enormous chunk of stone from the roof was about to crash into it. Link slowly walked forward, turning over the doubts in his mind about how trustworthy this voice was. A few paces later and he stood in front of a wall featuring only a few cracks and his own shadow.

Before Link could even ask what to do next, he felt something shift. It tugged at his heart and his breath caught in his throat. His vision became warped briefly, as though someone had thrown a stone in a pond. Whatever was pulling at him pulled _harder_ , and his shadow began to grow on the wall until it was eye-level with him. The silhouette shifted, a few light spots forming within the head to form a few vague facial features, akin to a pair of eyes and a thin line for a mouth. Before the development even had a chance to startle him, the shadow moved on its own, stretching its arms and straightening.

_"About time! I'm so stiff..."_

It took a split second to process the fact that Link's shadow had spoken on its own. Link yelped and staggered back, his eyes darting between the floor and the shadow to confirm that it was, in fact, connected to him. "Wh-" he stuttered. "How are you-?!"

The shadow smirked. _"Talking?"_ he replied. _"It's not that hard. Taking over your shadow is a bit tougher, honestly."_

The fact that he was so calm about it only served to make Link even more nervous. "Who are you?" He asked, unsure of what to make of his new acquaintance.

After a brief pause, the shadow snickered. _"Let's just say that I've known you for a really,_ really _long time."_ He relaxed, placing a calm hand on his hip. _"You can call me Shadow for now. I know you've got a lot of questions, but we don't have much time. This spell is only going to hold for so long."_

"Spell?" Link echoed, gazing about the falling chamber. So this wasn't the choker after all... Or had Shadow somehow acted through it? " _You_ did this?"

_"Something like that. It's not going to last very long. Maybe long enough for me to explain a few things, but that's it."_

The fact that the room was in the midst of crashing down on top of him, combined with the knowledge that it could resume before long, wasn't a comforting thing to put to mind. Link swallowed anxiously. "Like what?"

_"The choker around your neck, for starters. It's very special, and the only reason you're not trapped in time."_

"Trapped in time?" Link echoed.

Shadow nodded. _"The stone set into that choker is a rare artifact called a Timeshift stone. You can basically use it to manipulate time, and you're going to need it if you want to get home."_

Link absently reached up with one hand to run a few fingers over the smooth stone set in the choker, which still pulsed with warmth. He'd only managed to use it a few times during the battle with Gohma, but he hadn't known that he was manipulating _time_ with it. Even then, it had been difficult to get a hold on its power. Could he really use it to get home? He barely even knew how it worked!

_"The One-Eyed Witch was trying to trap you in the past so you'd stay out of her way,"_ Shadow continued. _"Lucky for you, she forgot a few important details about sending someone like you through time."_

"Me?" Link asked. Shadow's explanations were giving him more questions than answers. What did he mean, 'someone like him'? "But I'm just a delivery boy. _Zelda's_ the one she was after! What do I have to do with this?"

There was a short silence while Shadow stared at Link, baffled. The silhouette eventually sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. _"You really don't remember anything, do you...?"_

"What?"

Any answer Shadow could have given was interrupted by a high-pitched metallic ringing. For a split second, the room trembled. Stones fell several inches, the lantern nearby was suddenly inches away from being crushed, and the flames from the wreckage soared into the air a few more feet before freezing again.

_"Ugh, I thought that spell would hold up longer,"_ Shadow said. _"Looks like the rest will have to wait."_

"Hang on!" Link cried. "What are you talking about? What do you mean, I don't remember anything?!"

_"You're not going to remember_ anything  _if this tower crushes you! RUN!"_

Link didn't need to be told twice. He bolted through the nearest doorway, time resuming its usual flow the moment he made it through. The sound of crashing debris behind him only urged him forward faster, heat brushing against his neck and threatening to scorch him. He tore through the hallways at top speed, the rocks that fell behind him missing him by inches. Before long, he finally made his way outside.

_"We're not safe yet! Keep running!"_

But there was nowhere to go, only a field of debris and flame. Behind him was a crumbling tower. Against his better judgement, Link continued to run, only to quickly find himself at a cliff's edge, with nothing but an abyss and a pit of magma below. "Any other _brilliant_ ideas?!"

_"Not for you, no. This is the part where I take over."_

"What-"

Link felt his arm jerk upward against his will. The Timeshift stone pulsed and roared, much more powerful than before. A light unlike that which he'd seen before tore through the air like a missile, striking a pile of debris just above the entrance to the tower. The rocks froze in place, and more entered the field, accumulating more debris. His arm out of his control, Link looked back at the entrance of the tower to see two vague figures racing outside.

_"Three...two..."_

Their faces became clear. While both of them were slightly older, the faces were still recognizable. The young woman strongly resembled Zelda, albeit dressed far more regally than the one he knew from home. The young man, aside from a few minor differences, shared his face, just like the last boy he'd met. Was that why he ended up here? Was it the same as last time?

_"...one."_

The Timeshift stone's magic vanished instantly, and the debris accumulated in its hold began to drop rapidly. Link watched in horror as the rocks tumbled towards the entrance of the tower. At the speed those two were running, there was no way they would make it out of the tower in time. At this rate, they'd be crushed. Frantically, Link lifted his arm again, desperately trying to summon up the power from the Timeshift stone again, only to find that it wouldn't respond.

_"Sorry, Link. This is for your own good."_

Link shouted something - he wasn't sure what - and ran forward anyway. He might not know who these people were, aside from their resemblances, but he wasn't about to stand by and watch them die. He exchanged glances with them briefly as he raced forward. They both seemed shocked, but he didn't give it much heed, nor did he care. He had to do _something_ to save them. He wasn't sure what, but anything was better than letting them die.

Just as he was about to reach them, Link felt something force the air out of his lungs and shove him back. The world began to brighten uncontrollably around him, and his limbs went numb. The ground vanished beneath him, and his footing was all but gone. As the world faded, he saw the two strangers racing to the exit of the crumbling tower, desperation on their faces. The falling rocks were inches over their heads.

Something slammed against his back, and everything around him went dark.

 


End file.
